Ranma: Mazoku Factor
by ContraBardus
Summary: Ranma's mind is warped by anime. The Slayers in particular. ^_^
1. Default Chapter

Ranma 1/2: The Mazoku Factor.  
  
Part 1  
  
A change of perspective...  
  
The idea for this one isn't mine, but from a guy called Arkanfael  
from the Fanfiction forum on Delphi. The story itself is mine though.  
Enjoy. ^_^  
  
++++++++++++++++++  
  
Ranma Saotome sat in front of the television. He'd been where he  
was for almost two weeks now. It was a pleasant and carefree time for  
the boy; he was without his father, and in the care of a pair of  
loving and nurturing parents. This was due to a deal Genma made with  
the family a short while ago. Food for his son, not the first time  
he'd done something like this, but Ranma was feeling pretty bad about  
it. He didn't really want to leave, and knew his father would arrive  
soon to take him back. It was just a matter of time.  
  
The loving nurturing parents enjoyed having him around, and they  
had bought him several things to keep himself busy. He was only nine  
years old, but was enjoying the hospitality of the family.  
  
His favorite things of all, were a box of manga, and a stack of  
videos. There was a redhead on the cover with various others standing  
around her. She was on every box and cover, but she didn't matter much  
to him. There were a select few issues and videos that he watched  
regularly anyway. He was only interested in one character. The word  
'Slayers' was written across the top of all of the items. He'd watched  
the tapes several times, and even managed to struggle through the  
manga despite his poor reading skills.  
  
Now he was sitting and enjoying one of the videos once again. The  
Mazoku Xellos was currently teasing the flat chested tomboy Lina  
Inverse. He was really enjoying himself.  
  
"Boy!" Genma's quiet whisper floated into the room. Both of his  
'parents' had gone shopping for a while and left him alone for an hour  
or so. Ranma's attention was quickly diverted to his father. The man  
was standing right outside the door watching the area carefully. "Come  
on boy. It's time to go."  
  
Ranma blinked, he didn't really want to move. "Um, sure pop. Lemme  
just finish watchin this okay? I wanna see it one more time before I  
go."  
  
Genma looked slightly surprised at this and stared at his son for  
a moment. "Fine boy."  
  
Ranma smiled cheerfully and turned back towards the television.  
  
Genma wasted no time; he jumped forward and clobbered his son on  
the back of his head with his fist. Ranma crumpled to the ground out  
cold in an instant. "Foolish boy."  
  
Ranma didn't hear him though. The last thing he remembered was  
seeing a cheerful looking grin on the screen, and the words that would  
forever change his destiny. "Now that...is a secret!"  
  
++++++++++++++++++  
  
The Tendo dojo, seven years and some months later...  
  
Soun Tendo blinked, his daughters were all standing behind him  
staring at the newcomer. "Um, hello." Soun wasn't quite sure what to  
make of the boy standing in front of him. He was a gangly looking lad  
of about sixteen. The boy's hair was in a ponytail and he had a  
gnarled looking staff in his grip with odd markings carved into the  
wood. His clothes were unusual as well, rather than the dogi the man  
had been expecting, or something more active looking. This boy was  
wearing a cape and loose pants that were tied at his ankles. His shirt  
was long sleeved and made of a thick fabric, and he also had a pair of  
rather ornamental gloves on each hand.  
  
"Hello," replied the newcomer. His pet panda was standing behind  
him with a slightly dazed look in his eyes.  
  
"You wouldn't be..." muttered Soun. He was a little uncomfortable  
with the cheerful smile the boy had on his face. The boy's eyes were  
squinted and his grin looked like it was a permanent feature on his  
face.  
  
"Ranma Saotome," said the boy cheerfully. "This is the Tendo  
residence is it not?"  
  
"Growf," muttered the panda as it nodded cheerfully behind the  
boy.  
  
"Um, yes," said Soun as he turned to look at his daughters. They  
were silent so far; the boy didn't look very athletic at all.  
  
"Oh! This is your friend father?" ventured Kasumi.  
  
"Friend? I don't believe I've ever met the man actually,"  
commented the boy as he seemed to think about it.  
  
"I...uh..." Soun broke into a huge grin and wrapped his arms  
around the boy. With tears in his eyes he hugged him. "At last! You've  
come!"  
  
Ranma looked slightly uncomfortable at this and his false looking  
smile faltered for a moment.  
  
Nabiki, the middle daughter, arched her eyebrow at this.  
  
"I'm not marrying him!" declared Akane, the youngest, irritably.  
  
"Where is your father?" asked Soun as he broke off the hug and held  
the boy at arm's length.  
  
The boy grinned at him. "Now that...is a secret."  
  
"Huh?" muttered Soun as he stared at the boy for a moment.  
  
"He'll be along soon enough, I'm curious though. This  
arrangement..."  
  
"Go on?" muttered Soun as he frowned at the boy. He was beginning  
to suspect that something was wrong.  
  
"You say that it is between our families? From before when I was  
born?" The boy frowned slightly at this and stared at the panda.  
  
"That's correct," said Soun with a serious nod.  
  
Ranma sighed and nodded his head. "I suppose, that I must play  
along for the time being then."  
  
"Excellent!" said Soun as his face brightened up. "But your  
father..."  
  
"He'll be along shortly," replied the boy calmly as he looked at  
the trio of girls. "Hello."  
  
"Hello!" said Kasumi cheerfully.  
  
Nabiki gave him a silent nod, he noted that the look on her face  
was very calculating and careful. She seemed to think he was up to  
something.  
  
"Well, I guess I can't keep that a secret all the time," he  
thought to himself as he returned her cold glare with his usual smirk.  
  
Akane merely frowned at him and growled slightly. She had her arms  
crossed in front of her chest and didn't look like she had any  
intention of speaking with him.  
  
"This one could be interesting," noted the boy to himself as he  
looked back at Soun. He took off his traveling pack and held it up in  
front of him. "Is there a place I can put this until my father  
arrives?"  
  
"Oh my! How rude of us! Please follow me!" said Kasumi as she  
blushed suddenly.  
  
Ranma followed after her and his face flashed with a quick scowl  
as soon as he was turned away from the family. He glared at Kasumi's  
back for a moment and snorted.  
  
"Excuse me?" said the girl as she turned to look at him. His face  
was a cheerful grin once again as soon as she saw him behind her.  
  
"Oh nothing, I just had something in my throat," replied the boy  
cheerfully.  
  
"I hope you're not coming down with something," replied the girl  
sweetly.  
  
"Yes, that would be rather inconvenient wouldn't it?" he replied  
cheerfully as he walked after her after she started moving again.  
  
Soun and his other two daughters merely watched the scene in  
silence.  
  
"That was...odd," commented Nabiki. She was expecting a hunk,  
probably a stupid jock really. This boy was definitely not what she  
had in mind.  
  
"That's the fiancee? The one that went to China?" grumbled Akane  
as she glanced at her father.  
  
"You can stop scowling now, he's gone," said Nabiki.  
  
"Don't look at daddy that way!" lamented Soun as he burst into  
tears.  
  
Akane hadn't even realized that she was still glaring at  
everything and looked embarrassed. "Sorry."  
  
++++++++++++++++++  
  
Ranma found himself in the spare bedroom alone. Kasumi had left  
him to settle himself in privacy and told him to call her if he needed  
anything. The boy had just nodded cheerfully and let her go. As soon  
as she had left he cocked his head to the side a little and frowned.  
  
"So, the old man is still trying to control my future is he?" He  
narrowed his eyes and reached into the small pouch that hung off his  
waist. After a moment of searching, he took out a small crystal.  
"Let's see what you're up to old man." He closed his eyes and an image  
appeared before him in the air. He didn't need to open his eyes to see  
it.  
  
Genma was sitting on the porch of the home they were standing in  
with a huge grin on his face. He had plates of food all around him,  
little versions of Ranma were running around in the yard and he saw  
himself standing in a dojo teaching a class with a woman with no clear  
definitions kneeling on the wooden floor in a submissive position.  
  
Ranma chuckled as he opened his eyes and made the image vanish.  
"So, that's it is it? This is the one you really wanted for me." A  
lazy grin formed on his face and he glanced back at the door. "I'll  
just have to see what I can do about that."  
  
++++++++++++++++  
  
The giant panda lounged in the furo with a cloth over its head. It  
sighed in contentment and relaxed in the hot water for a time.  
  
++++++++++++++++  
  
The boy walked down the stairs and smiled at the residents of the  
home. Genma was still in the bathtub, and Soun was sitting on the  
porch watching nature in his back yard silently.  
  
"Hello again," said the ponytailed boy as he smiled at them all as  
he strolled into the room.  
  
"Ah yes," said Soun as he turned and smiled at the boy. "Ranma.  
Your father has not yet arrived..."  
  
"I'm right here Tendo," said Genma's voice as he emerged from the  
bathroom behind the boy. Ranma's smile never faltered and he acted  
like he hadn't even noticed his father was behind him.  
  
"Saotome! My old friend! It has been so long!" cried Soun as his  
eyes met with his best friend's cool gaze.  
  
"Indeed it has Tendo, but we have some things to discuss," said  
Genma as he nodded at the man and turned towards his son. "Boy. You  
stay here and get to know the girls. One of them will be your wife one  
day after all."  
  
Ranma merely smiled at his father cheerfully. Both of the older  
men wandered away to another part of the home. He merely walked over  
to the table where the three girls were sitting and sat down. "Well,  
it seems we are fated to meet again."  
  
Nabiki wasn't sure what to make of him. She was starting to  
suspect that the boy wasn't really Ranma at all, but Genma's  
appearance sort of killed that theory. She simply settled down to  
watch him interact with her two sisters.  
  
"Who are you? Why did you come here?" snapped Akane.  
  
The boy blinked at her. "I thought we covered this already."  
  
"Oh my, how awkward," muttered Kasumi as she blushed a little  
under the boy's gaze.  
  
"It is, isn't it?" said the boy cheerfully. "However, I'm more  
inclined to find out what our parents are up too." With yet another  
grin, the boy vanished in front of their eyes.  
  
Kasumi nearly dropped her tea, Akane simply stared at the boy's  
former spot dumbly, and Nabiki began to cough violently from spraying  
her drink into the air.  
  
"Where?" stammered Akane as she glanced around.  
  
++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Ranma snickered at the dumb looks the three girls had on their  
faces. "That should keep them guessing for a little while. Now, on to  
the two old farts..."  
  
He floated over to the dojo and smirked as he heard the  
conversation going on inside.  
  
"After a time, finally found the training ground we where looking  
for," said Genma with a serious tone in his voice. "It was a cursed  
place, and I did not escape. The result of this, you have already  
seen."  
  
Soun nodded with a serious frown. "I see. So this cursed springs,  
it changed you into that panda?"  
  
Genma nodded once.  
  
"The boy?"  
  
"He is...unaffected by Jusenkyo," replied Genma.  
  
Ranma smirked at this from his place just outside the door.  
  
"Very well," said Soun with a small nod. "I see no reason we  
should not continue our agreement."  
  
"I agree, but be careful Soun, the boy is smarter than he lets  
on," warned Genma calmly. "I am not certain what he makes of this  
situation. He seems agreeable so far at least."  
  
The ponytailed boy arched his eyebrow at this a little. Genma  
actually seemed to be catching on a little. His grasp of the situation  
was limited of course, his father knew he was intelligent of course.  
What he didn't know, was just how much his son really knew. That was  
probably his biggest joy in life, the fact that no one really knew  
just how much he knew but himself. "Ah well, nothing interesting here.  
I'd best check up on those girls." He faded out of view once again.  
  
++++++++++++++++  
  
When he arrived back in the living room, not even a half second  
later. He found himself staring at the three girls once again. He  
basically reappeared in the same sitting position he had been in  
before.  
  
The trio looked like they were discussing something when he had  
come back. "Oh. I do hope I'm not interrupting anything!"  
  
"Um, no, not really," muttered Akane.  
  
The two older girls looked at her for a moment. Kasumi was  
twitching her head towards him a little, as if trying to get Akane to  
ask him something.  
  
"We were wondering..." muttered the youngest uncomfortably.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Howdidyoudothat?" said the girl quickly.  
  
"Huh? How did I do what?" said the boy dumbly.  
  
"How did you just disappear that way?" cried Akane as she started  
to grow frustrated.  
  
"Oh, that," Ranma smiled cheerfully and sipped at his tea.  
  
The girls leaned forward awaiting the explanation. Ranma simply  
continued to sit in silence and drink.  
  
"Well?" said Nabiki as she frowned at him.  
  
"Well what?" he replied calmly.  
  
"Aren't you going to explain?" said the middle girl with a slight  
tension growing in her voice.  
  
"Oh. Of course not," replied the boy cheerfully.  
  
"Why not?" snapped Akane. "You think I can't do it?"  
  
"Huh? What's that got to do with anything?" said the boy as he  
glanced at her.  
  
"Well why aren't you going to explain it? It's obvious that you  
don't think any of us can do it anyway," replied Nabiki with a false  
looking frown on her face.  
  
"Oh! I suppose you're right," said Ranma cheerfully.  
  
"Gotya!" thought the middle girl in triumph.  
  
"However, if I told you, it wouldn't be a very good secret then  
would it?" continued Ranma as he sipped at his tea again. "This is an  
excellent cup of tea! Is that flavoring I taste lilac?"  
  
Kasumi stared at the boy for a moment. "Um, yes..." No one had  
ever figured that out before now. She doubted if anyone in the home  
beside herself noticed the subtle flavoring before.  
  
"Very nice," said the boy as he looked into his cup for a moment.  
"In any case, I think our two parents should be back any time now. I'm  
sure they'll want to explain things to us."  
  
Nabiki spoke up. "So, who were you planning on marrying?"  
  
Ranma looked at her and smiled. "Hmmm, that could take some  
thought. You all have good qualities. I'm not in a hurry though, we  
have lots of time to plan how things go."  
  
The girls glanced at him as one.  
  
"As long as you don't pick me!" said Akane as she scowled at him.  
  
"I wouldn't worry about that, you remind me of someone a little. I  
doubt if it'd work out anyway," replied Ranma calmly. He could easily  
see her with long red hair and a sorceress's outfit on with the way  
she'd been acting since his arrival.  
  
+++++++++++++++  
  
Genma Saotome sat with his son beside him in front of the Tendo  
family within ten minutes. "I am Genma Saotome, and this is my son..."  
  
"Ranma," said the boy as he continued to smile cheerfully.  
  
Genma looked thoughtful. "Hmmm, where to begin? I know! We'll  
start with this!" He took a glass off the table and doused himself  
with it. His form changed to that of a panda and the girls all gasped.  
  
Soun handed the man a kettle of hot water and the panda poured it  
over his head, becoming human once more.  
  
"Ah yes, it was a fateful four months ago. My son and I were  
traveling through China..."  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Ranma smirked as he looked out over the valley of Jusenkyo. Bamboo  
poles could be seen rising from hundreds of springs. The guide looked  
back at them nervously. The boy seemed to watch the springs cautiously  
as he grinned to himself.  
  
"I can feel...power. There is a force in those springs..." He  
glanced over at his father for a moment.  
  
"Are you ready boy?" said the old man gruffly.  
  
"No. There is something odd about those springs," replied the boy  
calmly as he watched them for a moment.  
  
"Foolish boy! Quit stalling and start training!" cried Genma as he  
jumped into a kick that sent the boy towards the springs.  
  
"No! Sirs! Very bad you fall in spring!" cried the guide as he  
moved after them.  
  
Ranma landed on the ground lightly about three yards ahead of the  
first spring. He grit his teeth in frustration and jumped into the air  
and onto one of the poles. "All right old man, we'll just see what  
happens then!"  
  
Genma charged him and the pair began to fight over the springs.  
Within a half a minute, Ranma had sent him tumbling into one of the  
pools.  
  
The ponytailed boy jumped down and away from the water quickly as  
the pool bubbled. He landed near to the guide and turned to watch what  
would happen.  
  
A few seconds later, a large panda bounded from the spring and  
glanced around the bamboo poles for his target.  
  
"I thought as much," muttered Ranma under his breath. He turned  
towards the guide. "These springs are cursed?"  
  
The man nodded slowly. "I try to say, but Mr. Customer not  
listen!"  
  
"Old man! Take a look at yourself," called Ranma as he waved his  
arm into the air.  
  
Genma blinked and turned towards the sound of his son's voice. He  
cocked his head in confusion and glanced down at his body. "GROWF!"  
After nearly tumbling into the springs again from his shock, the  
animal bounded away from the pools and landed next to his son.  
  
"Well, I did try to warn you," said Ranma as he smiled at the  
panda cheerfully. "Do you have any information on these curses?" The  
boy glanced at the guide with his cheerful expression never changing.  
  
"Um, yes sir. Jusenkyo have library," replied the guide calmly.  
"Not worry sir, curse not permanent. Hot water turn back to normal,  
but cold water change back again."  
  
Ranma actually looked somewhat disappointed by this. He glanced at  
his father again and turned towards the guide's hut. "Let's have a  
look then, I might be able to find out more about this."  
  
+++++++++++++++++  
  
"Did you find anything?" said Nabiki as she stared at the boy for  
a moment. He had taken over his father's story about halfway through.  
The old man didn't look happy with this, but wasn't too upset.  
  
"Oh yes. I discovered a lot of interesting things about Jusenkyo,"  
said the boy cheerfully. "Quite a bit indeed."  
  
"But no cure," muttered Genma irritably.  
  
"Sadly, no," agreed Ranma. He had found a cure actually, but  
didn't see any point to mentioning it to the old man. It might be kind  
of funny to see the old fart jump into the spring of drowned man and  
complicate his curse a bit more if he ever managed to get his hands on  
some of the water. "It seems that Jusenkyo is a training ground all  
right, but not a martial arts training ground. It's actually for  
honing magical powers by learning about the mana connections that bind  
the springs, and how to manipulate them. The main spring is 'spring of  
drowned bird' or something along those lines. It's on the top of a  
mountain near to the valley."  
  
The girls looked at the boy as if he'd grown an extra head.  
  
Ranma continued to sip his tea cheerfully.  
  
"It is a relief that you managed to escape intact," commented Soun  
as he nodded at Ranma.  
  
"Yes, it is isn't it?" agreed the boy.  
  
"My daughter Kasumi, nineteen, Nabiki, seventeen, and Akane, she's  
sixteen. Pick the one you want, and she'll be your fiancee!" said Soun  
as he pat the boy on his shoulder.  
  
Ranma looked at him for a moment.  
  
"Oh, I think he wants Akane," said Kasumi cheerfully.  
  
"What? Why me?" snapped the girl irritably.  
  
"What about Kasumi? She's a very good homemaker!" said Nabiki as  
she pointed at the older girl.  
  
"Or perhaps you Nabiki?" said the boy as he turned his head  
towards her. "I could choose any one of you. I rather like having that  
freedom."  
  
"Nabiki it is then!" cried Soun.  
  
"I never said that," replied Ranma as he looked up at the man.  
  
"Good choice son!" agreed Genma.  
  
"I haven't decided yet," muttered Ranma as he frowned at the pair.  
  
Genma and Soun took out a bottle of sake and began to celebrate  
the union.  
  
"Well, good luck with him," said Akane as she pat her sister on  
the shoulder.  
  
Kasumi smiled cheerfully. "How sweet! Love at first sight!"  
  
Ranma looked a little annoyed with her for a moment. Nabiki merely  
glared at the boy in front of her with a barely hidden rage. Her eyes  
seemed to say "I'll get you for this."  
  
Ranma merely smiled back. His own eyes seeming to read this and  
accept it in an instant. "Perhaps I should just leave things as they  
are. This could be interesting if nothing else. For now anyway, no  
point in rushing things."  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Ranma Saotome looked up at the moon that evening with a sort of  
thoughtful frown on his face. The light gave him a sort of pale tone  
as he stood on the rooftop of the home and simply thought. "This  
fiancee thing could be trouble, not that it's a bad thing. I'm in no  
hurry though, I haven't mastered a few of these techniques yet  
anyway."  
  
He paused when he heard the sound of someone else climbing onto  
the roof from inside. Turning his head he smiled as Akane climbed out  
of her room. "Hello there. I wasn't expecting company."  
  
The girl gasped as she noticed him. Guilt flooded onto her face  
and she turned her head away.  
  
"Feeling down about something?" he asked as he looked back up at  
the sky.  
  
"It's nothing," she grumbled as she looked down at the ground.  
"You're not really marrying my sister."  
  
"Not if she has any say in the matter," agreed Ranma with a small  
nod.  
  
"What about you?" snapped the girl angrily.  
  
"I've got one focus in life, and marrying your sister isn't it,"  
replied the boy as he shrugged.  
  
"One focus?" muttered Akane in confusion.  
  
Ranma nodded and glanced down at her again. She wasn't all that  
bad looking, if a little underdeveloped.  
  
"What focus? You don't want to get married?" said Akane as she  
frowned at him.  
  
"Now that...is a secret," he replied calmly.  
  
The girl didn't look very satisfied with the answer and frowned at  
him. She didn't press it though and moved on. "Why didn't you pick  
me?"  
  
"Pardon?" asked the boy as he glanced down at her again.  
  
"They always pick me, no matter how much I hurt them. I was sure  
you'd pick me," she muttered under her breath. "Why didn't you? I  
mean, we're the same age, we're both martial artists, we have the most  
in common. I would have pounded you if you had of course, but still. I  
want to know why."  
  
Ranma sighed as he stared into the moonlight. "Martial artist? I  
suppose you're right in a way."  
  
"Huh?" Akane found herself confused by those words.  
  
"As for why didn't I pick you? Well, I try to avoid tomboys with  
nasty tempers and no chest as a rule. They're nothing but trouble."  
Ranma nodded to himself and seemed quite satisfied with his answer.  
  
Akane's eyes went wide. "What?!"  
  
+++++++++++++++++++  
  
Ranma was sitting in the shattered remains of the roof tiles with  
a contemplative frown on his face. His body was contorted and he was  
covered in bruises. "Hmmm, perhaps I could have worded that a bit  
differently?" He jumped to his feet as if nothing had happened to him  
and dusted off his clothes. "Ah well."  
  
+++++++++++++++++++  
  
The next day...  
  
"School?" Ranma was sitting with his father and cocked his head as  
he thought about it.  
  
"Well, we are going to be staying a while," said Genma as he  
nodded to himself.  
  
"Oh, all right then," replied his son with a small shrug.  
  
"It's the same school Akane and I go to. See you there!" said  
Nabiki as she dashed out the door with a false looking smile on her  
face.  
  
"Nabiki! Wait! I'll go..." Akane realized her sister was gone and  
turned to glare at the girl's fiancee. "...with you."  
  
Ranma smiled cheerfully at her and stood up.  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
They walked in silence. Ranma was just behind her in the same  
clothes he'd been in since his arrival, unless he had several pairs of  
the clothes. Akane assumed that was probably it, he didn't stink, and  
the clothes looked neat and clean at the moment. He was also carrying  
his unusual staff with him.  
  
"I take it this place is a fair distance away?" asked the boy as  
he moved up to her side.  
  
"Something like that," muttered Akane irritably. It was obvious  
she didn't want a conversation with the boy. "If he so much as touches  
me, I'm gonna pound him!" she thought angrily.  
  
Ranma ignored her and continued on his way as if he didn't even  
notice her mood. In fact, he seemed to be a bit more cheerful because  
of it. His mood darkened for a moment though. He stepped in front of  
one of the gates in the wall, not realizing that it was open, or that  
there was an old woman emptying out a bucket of water over the  
entranceway. He took a ladle full of water right in his face and  
frowned.  
  
Akane giggled as Ranma hunched his shoulders forward and shivered  
for a moment.  
  
The boy stood upright again, his face was scrunched up slightly,  
but he quickly relaxed and smiled at her. "Are we there yet?"  
  
Akane's cheer was short lived and the pair kept going.  
  
++++++++++++++++++  
  
Twenty-five 'are we there yet' later...  
  
Akane seethed with anger as she held the boy by his neck up  
against the wall. "No! We're not there! Stop asking me or I'll break  
your damn neck!"  
  
"No need to get so hostile," replied the boy nervously. "I was  
only curious."  
  
"I'll tell you when we get there! All right?" she snapped at him  
hatefully.  
  
"That could work," agreed Ranma as she let him go and stepped  
back.  
  
The girl stopped and a huge grin suddenly formed on her face.  
Ranma watched her face light up and frowned a little. He found himself  
wondering what could have ruined all that work so quickly.  
  
The answer came in the form of a young looking man who was walking  
down the street with a skeleton held in his hands.  
  
"Dr. Tofu!" cried Akane as she rushed up to meet him.  
  
"Oh? Akane?" said the man as he smiled at the girl cheerfully as  
she moved up to him.  
  
Ranma snorted and walked up to the pair to watch the scene.  
  
Tofu went silent as he stared at the boy in front of him.  
  
Ranma merely smiled at him, his expression hadn't wavered once.  
  
"Good morning to you," said Tofu calmly.  
  
"Yes," said Ranma as he watched the man.  
  
Akane glanced back and forth between the pair and frowned. "What's  
going on?" she muttered to herself as she stepped back.  
  
"Nice skeleton. It's been a while since I've seen a real one,"  
commented Ranma as he nodded at the bones in the doctor's hands.  
  
"Real?" muttered Akane as she stared at 'Betty' Dr. Tofu's  
skeleton. It had been in his office for as long as she could remember.  
  
"Thank you," said the doctor calmly. "You are?"  
  
"I'm sure we'll meet again. Introductions can wait until then,"  
replied Ranma as he started walking again. "It was nice meeting you  
though."  
  
Tofu froze as the boy walked by him just behind where Akane was  
standing. When the boy was directly behind the girl Tofu saw his  
expression change for the briefest of moments. So quickly it was  
almost too fast to see, and he wasn't sure if it was real or not. The  
boy's eyes opened all the way and stared at him, his smile changed  
tone as well, becoming much more sinister. If he had blinked, he'd  
have missed it.  
  
"Are you all right Dr. Tofu?" asked Akane as she waved her hand in  
front of the man's face.  
  
Ranma was gone now and the man turned to look at her. "I'm fine  
Akane. If you'll excuse me, I've got some work to do at the office  
now." He gave her a reassuring smile and continued on his way.  
  
"Okay. Maybe I'll come see you later then." Akane jogged after  
Ranma with a scowl forming on her face. "That dope! Why'd he go ahead?  
He doesn't know where he's going!"  
  
+++++++++++++++++++  
  
It didn't take very long for the pair to meet again. Ranma was  
waiting on the next block. He was leaning against the wall and  
watching people pass by all around him.  
  
Akane didn't bother to speak as she walked by him, and he followed  
her wordlessly as well.  
  
The school building came into view and Akane started running  
forward.  
  
Ranma arched his eyebrow at the strange mantra she started and  
followed closely behind her.  
  
"Hate boys! Hate boys! Hate boys! Hate boys! HATE BOYS!"  
  
He paused when the crowd of male students appeared on the horizon  
and watched as Akane Tendo charged into them full force. The males  
were all screaming declarations of love while she pounded them into  
the dirt. It had barely started and Ranma could easily tell who was  
going to win.  
  
"Interesting," he commented as he closed his eyes and held his  
staff forward. A few of the runes began to glow with a faint light and  
his face contorted into concentration. "Let's see how good you really  
are, Tendo."  
  
+++++++++++++++++++  
  
Half of the crowd was down and Akane was barely breathing hard  
just yet. She took controlled breaths and spun into a flurry of  
punches and kicks that tore through those that remained. She paused  
suddenly when she realized that those left were not attacking.  
  
"What? Did they finally figure it out?" she wondered out loud.  
  
The boys were standing in a circle around her. They all looked  
just as determined as before, but something seemed to be holding them  
back. Akane gasped as one of the boys clutched the sides of his head  
suddenly and gave out a low moan that sounded almost like he was in  
pain. "What's going on?" she muttered to herself as she stepped back  
as a few of the others began to fall victim as well.  
  
When the group looked up at her again, she found herself shivering  
from the gaze they were giving her. "What the?"  
  
One of the boys spoke up, his eyes nothing more than white orbs in  
his skull. "Akane Tendo...prepare to die!"  
  
"Wha?" stammered the girl in shock as she stepped back into a  
defensive stance again.  
  
The remains of the mob charged her and she jumped into them. Her  
fists tore through them as before, but something about them was  
different. She gasped as she realized that they weren't falling like  
before, the few that had were already staggering to their feet again.  
"Oh shit!" She ducked as a baseball bat passed where her head had been  
before and barely managed to parry a stabbing strike by a hockey  
stick. "They're trying to kill me!" she realized in shock.  
  
One of the karate club members growled animalistically as he  
kicked her in the side. She staggered under the blow and grit her  
teeth as she countered with a vicious uppercut. The others took  
advantage of her lapse of concentration and charged forward again.  
Akane pushed them back without too much trouble, but still found  
herself actually taking hits. For a full minute this went on and the  
girl was steadily pushed back toward the gates. She growled in  
frustration as she felt her leg slip slightly against the ground as  
her strength started to give out. "No!"  
  
Ranma smiled as he watched this from a fair distance in front of  
the school. The staff was now held lazily at his side and he moved it  
forward again. "Not bad Tendo, not bad at all. Push it a bit harder  
though, or you might get hurt a bit." He was about to raise his staff  
and bring the crowd back to normal, when someone else decided to jump  
in. "Eh?"  
  
"Fools! You dare try to bring my tigress to her knees! Have at  
thee!" A boy of about seventeen years in age jumped out from behind a  
tree. He tossed a rose through the air and Akane caught it  
reflexively. The boy landed in the crowd of male students and held a  
wooden sword at the ready. "I, the mighty Blue Thunder of Furinkan  
High, shall not allow this travesty to continue! Fear not Akane Tendo,  
for I shall save you!"  
  
Ranma blinked, Akane looked more than a little irritated.  
  
"Kuno you jerk! I can handle this!"  
  
"True as it may be, I cannot stand idly by while such brutes walk  
free upon these hallowed halls," said Kuno boldly. He turned with his  
sword held ready. "And so, I fight!"  
  
Ranma walked onto the school grounds and glanced around at the now  
unconscious boys. Once they were knocked out, the effects wore off  
anyway. The boy with the wooden sword stood tall in the remains of the  
crowd of boys and laughed out loud. "Akane Tendo, for the merit of  
saving you from grievous harm, I shall date with you tonight!"  
  
"Tendo, I don't believe I've had the pleasure," said Ranma as he  
walked up to Akane's side and glanced at the boy who was still  
laughing out loud.  
  
"You there! You are being quite familiar with Akane!" said the  
older boy as he took notice of Ranma finally.  
  
"So I am," agreed Ranma cheerfully.  
  
"Who are you boor! Ah, but it is the custom to give one's own name  
first! Fine then! Mine I shall give! The sound of my voice sends fear  
into the hearts of my peers, they call me, the Blue Thunder of  
Furinkan High! Upperclassman Tatewaki Kuno, Junior, Group E. Captain  
of the Kuno club and undefeated new star of the high school fencing  
world!"  
  
"Hmmm, that's quite a mouthful. Do you mind if I just call you  
'Tachi'?" asked Ranma.  
  
"No! You must call me Upperclassman Kuno!" said the older boy.  
  
"Fine then, Kuno it is," said Ranma as he nodded. "Well, my name  
is Ranma Saotome..."  
  
Kuno's eyes narrowed. "You..."  
  
"You know me?" muttered Ranma in confusion.  
  
"What did you do this time?" grumbled Akane irritably.  
  
"So, you are the one who toys with Nabiki Tendo's heart, in order  
to steal the affections of her sister away? Cur! I shall not allow you  
to use your evil manipulations to steal away Akane Tendo's heart!"  
  
Even Ranma blinked at this one. "Pardon me?"  
  
"Have at thee!" cried Kuno as he charged forward.  
  
Ranma stepped back and frowned as the kendoist slashed at him.  
There was a collective gasp as the side of the staff in the boy's hand  
stopped Kuno's blade cold. The pair stood motionless for a moment as a  
large tree branch fell to the ground that had been in the path of  
Kuno's wooden sword.  
  
Ranma smirked at the boy as he easily held him at bay. "That's an  
impressive trick."  
  
"Fool! I won't allow your fiendish plot!" growled Kuno as he  
jumped back and held his sword ready again.  
  
"Which one?" asked Ranma with a completely serious look on his  
face.  
  
"You take me for a fool!?" roared Kuno as he jumped forward and  
began to slash at the boy with his blade repeatedly.  
  
Ranma blocked every blow without moving. He simply shifted his  
staff into the way and smiled cheerfully. "You might hurt someone if  
you keep this up."  
  
"That is my intent!" growled Kuno angrily.  
  
The entire school was either standing around the scene or watching  
from the windows. Muttered whispers and gasps could be heard around  
the entire campus.  
  
Akane simply watched the scene in shock. "He's beating Kuno? He  
looks like he's not even trying!"  
  
Tatewaki Kuno jumped back away from the boy and held his bokkan  
over his shoulder. "You fight well for a lowborn fool."  
  
"Me? Lowborn? Heh. I suppose I am a bit of a wanderer aren't I?"  
He twirled his staff around his hand and did something Akane had never  
seen him do. He opened his eyes all the way and stared Kuno down. His  
grin looked much more sinister when he did this and she stepped back  
in surprise.  
  
"What the? Who is this guy?" she muttered under her breath.  
  
Ranma started walking. "Well, you're not bad yourself. Keep  
practicing." He walked directly by Kuno and his normal expression  
reappeared on his face as he moved towards the school.  
  
"What?" gasped Akane in shock. Kuno was just letting the boy go?  
There was no way!  
  
At this point, Tatewaki Kuno fell forward onto the ground with a  
mighty thud. He groaned in pain as the dust cloud from his landing  
settled.  
  
Akane's jaw dropped. "What? I didn't see an attack!" She rushed to  
Kuno's side and flipped the boy over. Her eyes went wide at what she  
saw, and she glanced up at Ranma as he walked into the school  
building. "No way!"  
  
At this point a light rain started to fall, sending the remainder  
of the students into the building. Akane stood where she was and  
ignored the water. "Ranma Saotome? Who, or what are you?"  
  
Tatewaki Kuno had regained some of his senses by this point and he  
sat up and looked around. "An odd place for myself to partake in a  
nap." He noticed Akane and frowned to himself. "The tigress, she  
awaits my waking moment, as to revive me with a kiss! So be it Akane  
Tendo, because you have tended to me in my time of need, I shall kiss  
you!" He promptly grabbed the girl around her waist.  
  
Akane ignored him and elbowed his puckered lips, sending him  
flying into a nearby tree. She jogged towards the building and growled  
in frustration.  
  
++++++++++++++++++++  
  
"You don't remember him even touching you?" muttered Nabiki as she  
looked at Kuno.  
  
The pair was in their room inside the building. Kuno had a small  
hand mirror in his grip and he was poking at the word that was now  
written onto his forehead in bruises. "This boy...he is skilled."  
  
"So it seems," muttered Nabiki sourly. Her plan of having Kuno  
beat up and scare away Ranma Saotome hadn't gone very well at all. At  
least he was still a viable tool in this mess. She'd just have to find  
a more indirect way of using him. Ranma appeared pretty clueless so  
far, and she doubted if she'd have to prod Kuno into annoying him  
more. The boy didn't like to lose and would keep attacking him over  
and over.  
  
Kuno growled as he pulled the mirror away from his face.  
"Unguarded" was written across his forehead now. "These markings will  
become bothersome."  
  
Nabiki blinked. Kuno was scratching something she'd never noticed  
before on the back of his hand. She jumped forward and grabbed it away  
and blinked. "Unguarded" was also written near his wrist. She pulled  
up his sleeve a little and noticed it again on the inside of his  
elbow. "What the?"  
  
"What is it you seek Nabiki Tendo. My heart belongs to another!"  
said Kuno as the girl ripped open his shirt to reveal five other  
markings like the one on his forehead.  
  
"No way!" muttered Nabiki as she ignored the odd stares she was  
getting from her other classmates. "He's...that good?"  
  
"Fear not Nabiki Tendo, I shall free Akane Tendo from this fool's  
dark magics, and become her one true love once again," said Kuno  
calmly.  
  
Nabiki didn't really hear him, she simply sat down in her seat and  
stared at the desktop for a long moment. "Ranma Saotome...who are  
you?" 


	2. Mazoku 2

Ranma: The Mazoku Factor  
  
Part 2  
  
Ranma Saotome's great Revenge!  
  
+++++++++++++++  
  
Ranma stood in front of his class smiling cheerfully at the  
students gathered there.  
  
"It seems that you've been in China until recently," said the  
teacher as he read the file he'd been given from administration. "Take  
your seat please."  
  
"Of course," replied the boy as he walked into the crowd of desks  
and sat down a little to the right and in front of Akane.  
  
The girl glared at his back for a moment with a small frown on her  
face, but didn't speak.  
  
The ponytailed boy appeared to ignore her as the teacher began his  
class, but she was off in her own world for a bit.  
  
"Who is this guy? How good is he?" she thought with a little  
uncertainty. "Most of all, what's he up too? Something isn't right  
about all this."  
  
+++++++++++++++  
  
"Fiance?" muttered Kuno as he stared at Nabiki for a moment.  
  
"Uh-huh. My daddy and his dad decided that he was gonna marry one  
of us. Akane was already in love though, so he was forced to pick me  
instead."  
  
"I see," muttered the boy as he frowned at her.  
  
"He's just using me to get closer to her though," continued  
Nabiki. "She's the one he wants to marry. Daddy seems to be agreeing  
with him too..."  
  
"The foul demon! I cannot permit this!" growled Kuno as he made an  
unpleasant face.  
  
"Kuno! Go stand in the hall!" snapped the teacher.  
  
++++++++++++++++++  
  
Within moments, Tatewaki Kuno was rushing down the hall with a  
pair of buckets in his hands. He was wearing his Kendo uniform and had  
his bokken strapped to his back. "I forbid it!"  
  
+++++++++++++++++  
  
Inside his classroom Ranma cocked his head as the sound of running  
came from the hallway. "Hmmm?"  
  
Akane turned to look at the door as it burst open, the teacher and  
a majority of the students all looked at Kuno dumbly.  
  
"Ranma Saotome! I shall not allow your fiendish plot to continue!"  
  
The boy in question merely smiled at the newcomer and continued to  
sit calmly. "Which one?"  
  
"You know of what I speak demon!" snarled Kuno.  
  
"Demon?" muttered the boy as his smile faltered a bit. "Well,  
maybe...just a little." Ranma stood to his feet and ignored the rest  
of the room as he stared at Kuno. "Which fiendish plot were you  
talking about in particular. There are several after all..."  
  
Kuno paused; the boy wasn't even trying to deny any of his  
accusations. He shook his head for a moment trying to clear it of the  
confusion. "Dog! I shall not allow it!"  
  
Ranma sighed. "Can't this wait until later? I've got class."  
  
"Justice waits for no man! Have at thee!" cried Kuno as he charged  
forward.  
  
Ranma blocked the wooden sword with his staff again. His gaze was  
calm still and he shoved the offending weapon aside. "Are you sure you  
want to do this right here?"  
  
The older boy glanced around and frowned. "Very well. Come, we  
shall settle this elsewhere!" He dashed out the door and left the boy  
standing there.  
  
"Actually I meant later," said Ranma as he calmly walked out after  
Kuno.  
  
The students in the room gave a collective blink and turned too  
look at each other. The last thing the teacher remembered before  
seeing nothing but a huge dust cloud was the sound of chairs and desks  
squeaking against the floor.  
  
"Take your seats please," he muttered lamely at the empty room.  
  
+++++++++++++++++++  
  
Ranma smiled as he walked out the front door of the school and  
into the open field outside. The pair was standing in front of the  
school gates with Kuno being the only one in a combat ready stance.  
  
"What's this about? I'd really like to know what you're so upset  
about. It's not every day I get to annoy someone this much," said the  
ponytailed boy as he watched Kuno cheerfully.  
  
"Your fiendish plot to ensnare Akane Tendo's heart through  
subversive means!" cried Kuno.  
  
"Akane?" Ranma blinked at this. "I'm not engaged to Akane."  
  
"Ha! Foul demon, I shall not allow you to use the heart of Nabiki  
Tendo to woo her sister! I shall destroy your base desires and send  
you on a path with destiny!"  
  
"In other words, you think I'm trying to use Nabiki Tendo to get  
to Akane?" replied Ranma as his smile actually faltered a bit.  
  
"Verily!"  
  
"Can't you just say yes?" said Ranma as he continued to grin  
again.  
  
"You seek to extend your fate by speech? Coward! Fight and die!"  
  
Ranma sighed as he casually blocked several super fast strikes  
with his staff.  
  
Kuno continued to attack as if it was not happening, searching for  
a hole in the boy's defenses.  
  
"Really. Akane Tendo isn't my type," said the ponytailed boy as he  
spun his staff into a circle and forced Kuno to step back for a  
moment.  
  
"What?" growled the older boy.  
  
"Nabiki Tendo, what an interesting person. I haven't known her two  
days, and she's already trying to stab me in the back!" Ranma actually  
looked somewhat pleased by this.  
  
Kuno's form shifted a bit and he frowned even deeper. "You do not  
seek to wed Akane Tendo?"  
  
"Good heavens no! She's a bit rough for me actually," said the boy  
cheerfully. "Nabiki on the other hand..."  
  
Kuno frowned as he followed the boy's gaze up to the school  
building. There was a large crowd in the windows watching the battle  
from above. "So, it seems that we are not enemies."  
  
"For the time being, no. That may change later, but why bother  
with details?" said Ranma as he calmly lowered his staff and started  
to walk towards the building.  
  
Kuno was unfazed by this and nodded once as he shouldered his  
bokken. "Indeed."  
  
++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Nabiki growled as she watched the exchange. She hadn't heard a  
word of it, and the pair was too far a way for her to read their lips.  
Ranma had managed to calm Kuno down. That was something she didn't  
think was possible once the boy got into one of his thick headed rants  
and fits of violence. From her experience, nothing short of him giving  
the offender a good beating would satisfy him. She turned on her heels  
and walked back into the classroom before the crowd even started to  
disperse.  
  
++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Tatewaki Kuno was frowning at Nabiki with his eyes narrowed for  
about ten minutes. The teacher's lesson had ended about five minutes  
ago and he allowed them free time after the assignment was finished.  
Both of them were also finished.  
  
"What are you glaring at?" she hissed angrily.  
  
"Ranma Saotome, he claims that he does not lust after your  
sister," said the boy as he turned his head away.  
  
"And you believed him? Idiot!" snapped Nabiki harshly. "He's just  
trying to get you out of the way!"  
  
Kuno's forehead furrowed at the thought. His eyes went wide  
suddenly and he gasped. "Can it be?"  
  
"Idiot," grumbled Nabiki with a false looking frown on her face.  
  
+++++++++++++++  
  
"Ranma Saotome!" cried Kuno as he opened the door to the  
classroom.  
  
Ranma turned his head and blinked. He wasn't expecting too see the  
older boy until at least lunch. "Hello."  
  
"Fiend! I shall not be fooled by such obvious trickery! Have at  
thee!"  
  
"Can this wait until lunch?" asked Ranma calmly as he repeated the  
same defense as before.  
  
"Honor waits for no man! I shall see your lies uncovered!"  
  
The pigtailed boy sighed and nodded his head. "All right. Same  
place as last time?"  
  
"I shall meet you!" agreed Kuno firmly.  
  
The class looked at each other and the teacher didn't even bother  
to speak this time as his entire room vanished in a rumbling dust  
cloud.  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Ranma stood off against Kuno in the same relaxed position as  
before. His cheerful smile grating on the older boy's nerves. "You  
take this lightly?"  
  
"Of course. It's obvious you've been tricked again," said the  
ponytailed boy as he shrugged his shoulders.  
  
"Foul dog! You would have me believe that Akane Tendo is not your  
true beloved? That you would choose her sister over her?"  
  
Ranma nodded. "Of course. Nabiki Tendo is more my type."  
  
Kuno stared at the boy. "Nabiki Tendo? Your type?" He seemed  
utterly confused. "What of Akane's beauty? What of her fierce  
prowess?"  
  
"What about it?" said the younger boy.  
  
"You claim to prefer Nabiki Tendo, over such beauty and purity?"  
  
"Actually, I never cared much for purity. Not a quality I look for  
in a woman," replied Ranma with yet another shrug.  
  
Kuno wasn't sure what to do. So he just attacked, that always  
worked in a pinch. In the end, he'd be right like he always was.  
  
Ranma blocked with a casual twist of his wrist, causing his staff  
to intercept the weapon. "Really Kuno. Where else am I going to find a  
girl with such admirable qualities?"  
  
The older boy jumped back. "Admirable?"  
  
"She's tried to have you kill me twice in one day! Her own  
fiance!" said the boy. He didn't look all that upset at the moment. In  
fact, he looked quite pleased with himself. "She's almost as sneaky  
and underhanded as I am!"  
  
Kuno's brain churned violently, trying to understand what was  
happening. "You...do not seek to date Akane Tendo?"  
  
"Why would I want to do that?" inquired Ranma.  
  
"Her beauty is unrivaled! Her strength legendary! Her purity..."  
  
"What about it?" said Ranma as he looked away in disinterest.  
"She'd make a terrible wife for someone like me anyway. I mean, what  
with my fiendish plots and all..."  
  
Kuno stared at him for a long moment. "I see. Please forgive the  
confusion." He turned back towards the building again and scratched  
his head.  
  
Ranma merely smiled. "Shall we play another volley of Kuno Pong,  
Tendo?" he asked as he turned to look up at the windows of the school.  
  
Nabiki had obviously not heard him, but glared at him for a moment  
before turning back into the building. Ranma shrugged and smiled too  
himself as he turned towards the entrance as well.  
  
++++++++++++++++++  
  
Three hours, and several volleys later...  
  
Tatewaki Kuno sat huddled in a corner. He was clutching his head  
in frustration and confusion with tears running down his cheeks. "I  
cannot take this! Does Ranma Saotome have a fiendish plot to ensnare  
Akane Tendo or not? How can he resist her beauty? His words ring true  
though! How can a man such as him love anything but someone as  
underhanded as Nabiki Tendo!?"  
  
He looked up at the ceiling and cried out in anguish. "Alas! I  
cannot decide! Nabiki Tendo, who's words are laced with half truth  
that must be so! Ranma Saotome, who does not deny he is a fiend of  
darkness, and yet speaks the truth so readily! I cannot bear this  
burden! May the gods..."  
  
"Kuno, school is over," said Ranma as he looked down at the older  
boy that was cowering in the corner with his usual grin.  
  
"Hold Saotome!" cried the older boy as he composed himself.  
  
Ranma was about to walk away and paused. "Yes?"  
  
"I would speak with you again!" said Kuno angrily.  
  
Ranma merely nodded.  
  
The older boy calmly turned away and led him out into the  
courtyard. Ranma looked neither surprised, nor like he was expecting  
it when Kuno did not draw his bokken. The students who had gathered  
quickly dissipated as they realized there would be no fight.  
  
"Nabiki Tendo, she tells me that you pine for her sister in  
secret. She tells me that your only desire is to use her for your own  
perversions and then take my beloved as your own. She does not speak  
lies to me often Saotome."  
  
Ranma nodded. "Perhaps more often than you think."  
  
Kuno growled, but didn't argue. "Perhaps it is so. I am of a  
trusting nature, but a just will."  
  
"Tachi," Ranma walked towards the boy with his arms spread in an  
open gesture. "Maybe you're just not seeing the real truth here?"  
  
"What do you speak of villain?" growled Kuno.  
  
The boy's grin suddenly didn't look very false at all. "Why, she's  
jealous of course."  
  
Tatewaki Kuno stared at the boy for a long moment. "Nabiki Tendo,  
pines for my prowess?"  
  
"Oh, I wouldn't say that," said Ranma as he wagged his finger in  
the boy's face. "It's much more complicated. She's skilled enough that  
if she really wanted you, she could have had you by now." Ranma's eyes  
opened halfway as he realized that he could see Nabiki in the crowd a  
short distance away. "The truth, is always more sinister than the  
lie."  
  
Kuno looked extremely wary of what the boy was saying. "Speak  
demon!"  
  
Ranma chuckled. "Nabiki Tendo, does not wish for her younger  
sister to have a better husband than her own."  
  
Kuno's expression at that announcement was worth all the trouble  
that Ranma had gone through to get to this point. His jaw literally  
dropped and his eyes went wide.  
  
"So, you begin to see it." Ranma smirked at the girl as the  
kendoist slowly turned his head to look at her. "All this time, and  
it's really been her who's been keeping you away from Akane. Her base  
jealousy of her sister's good fortune too much for her to handle. Such  
a cold hearted girl."  
  
Nabiki simply stared at him with wide eyes. "What?"  
  
"Selling photographs of her in order to keep you off of her  
deception was quite a brilliant cover up too." Ranma reached into  
Kuno's shirt and pulled out several photographs of Akane working out.  
"A plan fiendish enough to rival one of my own, but without the  
ambitious scale. She might be more interesting than I'd thought."  
  
"Nabiki!" cried the younger girl from the other side of the crowd.  
  
The middle Tendo didn't like the looks she was getting from some  
of the crowd. "Oh shit."  
  
"Ranma Saotome, your words ring with truth. Can it be, that Nabiki  
Tendo has been keeping my love from me with subtle deception and lies?  
Can it be she that keeps my true love from my embrace? It has become  
clear, like Morgana of legend old, she uses my heart to twist my soul  
to her own desires! The lies too sweet and spoken from such beauteous  
lips. I have been fooled utterly!"  
  
"Yes, that's nice," said Ranma as he turned to walk away from the  
scene. "I'll see you tomorrow then. Maybe you can work on fouling up  
one of my other fiendish plans then?"  
  
"Very well Saotome," agreed Kuno with a short nod. He turned to  
glare at Nabiki.  
  
The girl stepped back with a shocked expression on her face as he  
drew his bokken and pointed it at her. "Uh-oh."  
  
"Nabiki Tendo, the vengeance of heaven is slow but sure..."  
  
"Kuno! You don't really believe all that do you?" she stammered as  
she backed away from him. "I mean...c'mon!"  
  
"Silence! I shall not be tainted by your lies any longer! Free my  
love from this sorceress's grip at once!"  
  
Nabiki went as white as a sheet. "Oh god no."  
  
Kuno charged forward, and she did the only thing she could; turned  
and ran.  
  
+++++++++++++++++  
  
Ranma smirked as he watched the scene play out before him from the  
school gate. Akane was chasing after Kuno, having realized that the  
boy was trying to kill her sister. Kuno was slashing wildly after  
Nabiki, who was running as fast as she could with a shredded uniform  
and several large bruises covering her body.  
  
Most of the students gave the scene a large area of clearance,  
especially after a few were injured by Kuno's wild swings when the  
whole mess started. It had gone on for almost ten minutes when Ranma  
started to realize that Tatewaki Kuno was starting to get tired. Akane  
was closing in fast, but then again, Nabiki was about to pass out from  
all the running that she'd been doing.  
  
With a small sigh he raised his staff into the air and vanished  
from his perch on top of the gate. None of the students noticed him do  
this, as they were all watching the scene in either amusement, horror,  
or just plain shock.  
  
Kuno slashed at Nabiki a final time as the girl collapsed against  
a wall and braced herself for the impact. Akane rushed up behind the  
boy, but she was still too far away to stop one or two strikes from  
connecting.  
  
She was saved by the one person she never expected to see, Ranma  
Saotome.  
  
The boy appeared in front of Kuno just as his missed slash cut  
through the air where he had appeared. His hand was shoving the older  
boy's face back and Kuno waved his arms around wildly. "I think that's  
about enough."  
  
Kuno growled through the boy's hand and Akane gasped as she  
realized what had happened.  
  
"As much as I'd enjoy it, I can't let you harm her Kuno. She is my  
fiancee after all, I am honor bound to protect her..." The boy trailed  
off as he looked over his shoulder at the girl.  
  
"We are not engaged!" growled Nabiki hatefully through her gasps.  
  
"Really? I suppose I don't have to stop Kuno then. After all, if  
we're not in agreement about this, we're not engaged are we?"  
  
Kuno continued to try and push his face through Ranma's hand and  
slashed with his bokken wildly. The strikes always narrowly missed the  
ponytailed boy as he calmly held him back.  
  
"What?" muttered Akane in shock.  
  
"If I'm not engaged to her, I've got no obligation to protect her  
at all," replied Ranma with a small shrug.  
  
"It's a martial artist's duty to protect the weak!" snapped Akane  
angrily.  
  
"Who ever said that I was a martial artist?" replied Ranma calmly.  
  
Akane stepped back and stared at him in shock. He opened his eyes  
and looked at her for a moment with his grin becoming the sinister  
leer once again. "What?" She was too shocked by the display to do  
anything as his hand released Kuno's face and sent the boy charging  
blindly forward.  
  
The enraged Kendoist was beyond pissed. He simply charged towards  
Nabiki as if he'd never been blocked in the first place and readied  
his attack again.  
  
"No!" cried Nabiki as she shielded herself again in the corner. "I  
accept the engagement! Help me!" She suddenly realized that she hadn't  
been struck and looked up.  
  
Ranma was holding Kuno by the back of his shirt calmly. He tossed  
the boy aside and Kuno rolled across the dirt. "Calm yourself."  
  
Kuno growled and readied himself.  
  
"Akane wouldn't like it if you killed her sister, evil or not."  
  
The girl in question had taken up a martial arts stance between  
the pair. She wasn't sure which direction to be facing. "Who? What's  
going on here? What happened?"  
  
Kuno calmed down visibly, but was still a little dazed.  
  
"Your sister just learned an important lesson," replied Ranma  
calmly.  
  
"What's that? You almost killed her!" snapped Akane angrily.  
  
"There is always someone better." He hadn't looked back at Nabiki  
once since he'd saved her the second time.  
  
The girl was on her feet in the corner. She had her head turned  
away and was holding her elbows in a closed posture.  
  
Ranma smirked at Kuno as the boy kept glancing towards Nabiki.  
"Come now Kuno. Her deception will probably not work if you know about  
it."  
  
"Your words are lies, but laced with truth," growled Kuno  
hatefully. "Nabiki Tendo, will not be able to manipulate me again."  
  
Ranma smirked as the older boy turned away and left the grounds.  
The crowd parted to allow him room as he walked off. "Perhaps she  
won't, at least never as easily as before." He turned to look at the  
two sisters for a moment. "I'll be seeing you when you get home I  
suppose." He followed after Kuno and got an even wider area of  
clearance.  
  
Nabiki merely frowned, her rage and fear barely held back under  
her mask of ice. "Damn him."  
  
Akane turned to look at the girl as she knelt down beside her. "I  
hate to say this, but you've had it coming for some time now."  
  
Nabiki glanced at her for a moment and stood up, dusting the  
remains of her uniform off. There were only a few tears in it, and it  
was still decent. "Who the hell are you to talk about that?"  
  
Akane gasped and stared at her in confusion. "What do you mean?"  
  
"If you have to ask, you'll never know," replied the older girl as  
she walked towards the crowd. They didn't part for her and she  
growled. "Move now."  
  
The students parted like the Red Sea.  
  
From the top of a nearby tree, Ranma Saotome watched the scene  
play out before him. "Well Tendo, let's see how you handle this one."  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++  
  
"Ranma?"  
  
Ranma Saotome was in the dojo with his father. Both of them  
standing on their heads with their legs crossed as if sitting upside  
down. It was fairly obvious that the boy was having an easier time of  
it, as he was also playing with a portable video game system while he  
was doing the exercise.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"I heard you had a bit of trouble in school today," said Genma  
calmly.  
  
"Yes I did. Nothing too bad though. Oh! I've got good news. Nabiki  
Tendo accepted the engagement at school today. That means your plans  
are probably going rather nicely."  
  
Genma blinked, he wasn't sure what to make of that. "Uh, very good  
boy."  
  
"I thought you might be pleased to hear about that," agreed Ranma  
cheerfully.  
  
+++++++++++++++++  
  
Akane Tendo walked out of the bathroom and blinked. Ranma was  
standing outside with his bath supplies, waiting patiently. They were  
in the hall together, and she was far from indecent, but it struck her  
as odd for him to be standing there like that.  
  
"You should remember to put up the occupied sign since you have  
guests," he commented calmly. "I might not have heard you in there."  
  
She blushed and nodded. "Sorry. I'll remember that."  
  
Ranma grinned at her and walked into the room behind her.  
  
"I don't think I've ever noticed him taking a bath before,"  
thought Akane as she cocked her head as she walked into her room. She  
quickly dismissed it though. The boy had only been there a few days  
anyway. She probably just hadn't noticed yet, and he seemed clean.  
  
++++++++++++++++  
  
Ranma dropped his tub of toiletries aside with a snort and looked  
up at the ceiling for a moment. "Ah. There you are! Did you acquire  
what I wanted?" Opening his palm, the crystal dropped into it from the  
ceiling and flashed once. Ranma smiled and stuck it into his pocket.  
"Excellent."  
  
++++++++++++++++  
  
Nabiki Tendo frowned as she glanced up at Tatewaki Kuno. The boy  
was calmly sitting down at his desk and said nothing to her. She  
shoved her nose into her magazine a little deeper and tried her best  
to ignore him.  
  
She'd taken the seat so that she could be close to him. He was  
something of a friend, and at the very least an excellent source of  
income. Now he was more than that, she had good reason to be very  
nervous at such close range. No one else wanted to sit near him  
either, so she was basically stuck. "Shit."  
  
"Did you speak Nabiki Tendo?" asked the boy calmly.  
  
"No," she growled impatiently.  
  
"Ah," said the boy as he nodded calmly.  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Three days later...  
  
"What?" said Nabiki as she stared at Kuno.  
  
"I have refused your offer," said the boy as he nodded calmly.  
  
"These are good pictures!" snapped Nabiki as she laid them all  
down on the table. "Three thousand yen is a steal!"  
  
"That may be Nabiki Tendo, but I have no use for such..." Kuno  
paused and looked down at one of the photos. "Well, perhaps this  
one..."  
  
"It's a set, you want one, you gotta take em all," said Nabiki  
sourly.  
  
"I have little need of these," said Kuno as he glanced at the pile  
for a moment.  
  
"What? Why is that? You're not dumping Akane are you?"  
  
"Dumping her?" asked Kuno as he looked at the photos and pulled  
out a small wad of cash.  
  
"Why so prissy about the photo's then? You've always bought them  
before," snorted Nabiki.  
  
Kuno frowned at her. "Alas. I have only two thousand yen with me  
today."  
  
Nabiki stared at him as if his head had just fallen off. "What?"  
  
"I shall buy this photo of Akane Tendo alone, for one thousand  
yen, or you will have to wait until tomorrow for payment."  
  
"What do you mean you've only got two thousand yen?" she growled  
as she grabbed him by his collar.  
  
"It was earlier today. I came upon an offer I could not refuse!"  
said Kuno as he puffed himself up.  
  
"Right," grumbled Nabiki. "Three thousand yen, tomorrow." She  
shoved the photographs into his face and turned to glare at the front  
of the room.  
  
Kuno watched her for a moment and sighed. He pulled a small  
crystal from his pocket and put it over his eye.  
  
Nabiki turned to stare at him for a moment in confusion. "What the  
hell is he doing?"  
  
Kuno got a huge grin on his face, his mouth opened and he started  
to drool.  
  
"Kuno? On drugs?" she muttered as she stared at the crystal for a  
moment. She was surprised that even someone as dumb as he was would be  
so blatant about it. That was when she realized that there was  
something moving inside the small clear crystal. She peered at it a  
little closer and gasped. "What the hell?"  
  
Inside the tiny shard, was an image of her sister taking a bath.  
She was currently in the middle of washing herself.  
  
Nabiki snatched it away from the boy and stared at it inside her  
palm in shock. "Where the hell did you get this?"  
  
Kuno stared at her for a moment and shrugged his shoulders. "The  
foul sorcerer, Ranma Saotome, he sold me this gem for a mere ten  
thousand yen."  
  
"Ranma?" growled Nabiki dumbly. "What the hell is this thing? How  
did he manage this? How the hell am I supposed to compete with this?"  
She put the crystal up to her eye and realized just how hard competing  
with something like this was going to be. She could zoom in, and even  
change the angle of the crystal clear image moving in front of her. It  
was right about this point that she realized that she had no idea how  
the hell this thing was working. "This is impossible!"  
  
"Yes, a wondrous thing, is it not?" agreed Kuno as he took it back  
and placed it inside his pocket.  
  
Nabiki frowned as the teacher entered the room and class started.  
"This is going to take some looking into."  
  
++++++++++++++++++  
  
It was early morning at the Tendo dojo. Ranma Saotome smirked as  
he launched himself into the air at his father. It seemed almost as if  
the boy was actually flying off the ground as he charged headfirst  
into the man that was jumping above him. Genma cried out in an angry  
yell as he met his son's charge.  
  
"Foolish boy! You can't counter a mid air kick with your arms that  
way!"  
  
Ranma merely slid sideways in mid air and punched at his father as  
the kick missed. "Can't I?"  
  
"No!" replied Genma as he grabbed the offending arm and pulled his  
son down with him.  
  
Ranma's eyes went wide as he realized that they were plummeting  
towards the Koi pool.  
  
"Ranma! Mr. Saotome! Breakfast!" called Kasumi.  
  
"Oh! Thank you Kasumi dear!" said Genma as he neared the surface  
of the water with his son in his grip. Ranma was flailing his arms as  
they descended, it seemed as if they were falling a little slowly  
actually, but not so much that it was really noticeable.  
  
With a mighty splash, both combatants were submerged for a moment  
in the shallow pool..  
  
++++++++++++++++  
  
At the breakfast table, Ranma sat with his father, who was in his  
panda form. Ranma seemed dry, if not for the slightly damp state of  
his hair. No one seemed to notice or care as they started eating.  
  
"Starting today, I have a part time job," said Genma's sign.  
  
Ranma smiled cheerfully at the man and nodded. "For a zoo? I have  
heard that they've been having trouble breeding pandas lately. That  
should pay quite well."  
  
Genma glared at the boy and held up a sign that said "Wrooonnng!"  
  
Nabiki scowled at her fiance and picked at her breakfast. "So what  
is it then?"  
  
"I'll tell you," started Genma's sign.  
  
"For three thousand yen," said the sign Ranma placed in his  
parent's hand.  
  
Akane had to suppress a giggle at the sight of it and Nabiki  
frowned sourly.  
  
"I don't want to know that bad."  
  
Kasumi spoke up with her face brightening up a little. "Oh, by the  
way Akane. On your way home from school, could you stop by Dr.  
Tofu's?" I borrowed this book from him and I'd like you to return it."  
  
Ranma arched his eyebrow as he noticed the title, 'Human pressure  
points'. "What would she need with something like that?" he thought  
privately.  
  
Akane suddenly looked uncomfortable, and she disguised it poorly.  
"Could you, um, do it yourself Kasumi? Today's just...Uh...not too  
good for me."  
  
Kasumi frowned slightly. "Really? I guess I'll have to."  
  
"Don't be silly, Akane would love to see the good doctor again,"  
said Ranma as he put down his bowl. "It's obvious she has quite the  
cr..."  
  
Akane glared at him and jerked at his ponytail violently. "Come on  
Ranma. We're going to be late!"  
  
"No we aren't, in fact, we have plenty of time to stop by and  
see..."  
  
"Shut it and move!" snapped the girl as she pulled him along  
behind her by his hair. Ranma ignored this and simply crossed his arms  
and waited as he was pulled through the streets of Nerima. After about  
two minutes he decided that she wasn't going to stop on her own.  
"What are you so heated up about?"  
  
A familiar sensation ran across his body as they passed the old  
woman's home. Once again he had been the target of her ladle. His body  
slammed into the ground for a moment and jerked Akane back off her  
feet as she tried to press forward.  
  
The girl blinked in surprise and turned around. Ranma was getting  
too his feet with a slightly uncomfortable look on his face. "They  
aren't going to overhear me now."  
  
The girl growled as she forgot about what had just happened to her  
and spun on her heels. "Listen! You'd better keep your mouth shut!"  
  
"About what?" said Ranma as he obviously feigned ignorance.  
  
"I mean about Dr. Tofu and..."  
  
"Ah! So it's true is it?" replied the boy simply as he grinned at  
her. "I thought something was up the other day." The boy had turned  
away from her and put his fingers up to his lips in a contemplative  
gesture. "That's interesting. It also explains how you were so easily  
defused."  
  
Akane stared at him for a moment. "What? What the hell are you  
talking about?"  
  
"It's nothing. That doctor of yours is an interesting man. I  
should meet him again sometime."  
  
The girl felt somewhat repulsed by the very idea of the boy  
meeting Tofu, and she wasn't sure why.  
  
"Come on. We're almost there anyway," said Ranma as he started  
forward again.  
  
++++++++++++++++  
  
"Get out of my way!" screamed Akane as she charged into the crowd  
of boys.  
  
Ranma hung back and let her handle it as he strolled around the  
long way and skirted along the edge of the skirmish. He paused in  
front of a tree and leaned against the front of it. "Good morning  
Kuno."  
  
"'Tis a fine day indeed Saotome," said the boy's voice from the  
other side.  
  
"She's almost finished, almost time for you to appear," commented  
the ponytailed boy casually.  
  
"True, she grows stronger with each passing day. She does in mere  
moments what she used to take minutes to do," said Kuno.  
  
"You're still holding back," commented Ranma.  
  
"Do you not have other places to be this morning?" growled Kuno.  
  
"Sorry, didn't know it was a sensitive spot," replied Ranma as he  
started towards the building.  
  
++++++++++++++++  
  
Physical Education, Ranma hated the class, the name, and  
everything it represented. Still, it was far from difficult. That  
didn't mean he was going to stand for it long. "No."  
  
"What?" growled the large coach that oversaw the class.  
  
"You want me to perform acrobatics, in order to impress you by  
slinging myself around a metal pole at high velocity?"  
  
"That's right!" snapped the man angrily.  
  
"I think I'll pass, thank you anyway," replied the boy as he  
looked at the set of iron bars that loomed over them.  
  
"Think you'll get hurt?" prodded the man.  
  
"Of course not, but I might get dirty," replied Ranma calmly.  
"Besides. I don't have another set of clothes for later. If I get  
these all sweaty, I'll have too stink for the rest of the day. What  
would my fiancee say?"  
  
The coach grumbled and looked down at his clipboard. "Fine. You  
fail then."  
  
"Very well," said the boy as he turned back towards the group of  
students. That would definitely get the old man's panties in a bunch,  
bringing home a failing grade from P.E. would drive his father  
completely up the wall.  
  
He sat down in a loosely spread out group of boys and watched as  
the other students struggled with the bars. One or two could get a few  
spins off of it, but most couldn't even perform a pull up.  
  
"Wow. I've never seen someone with enough balls to tell Coach  
Tanaka no," said one of the boys who moved up to Ranma's side. There  
were two of them, Ranma recognized them as Hiroshi and Daisuke, two  
members of his class.  
  
"So I've heard," he replied calmly.  
  
"So. Level with us Saotome," said Hiroshi as he edged a bit  
closer. "How far have you gotten with Nabiki anyway?"  
  
"Don't play dumb with us. She's your fiancee right?" agreed  
Daisuke.  
  
Ranma merely looked at the pair for a moment. "Pardon me?"  
  
"Come on, you must have #%* by now! Have you ~@&?"  
  
The boy's grin never faltered. "Now that...is a secret."  
  
"My god! He has done it!" muttered Hiroshi in awe.  
  
Ranma's head whipped around and he stared at the boy. The entire  
class was now circled around him, asking for details, explanations,  
and a rating. "I never said that I did," he replied calmly to the  
group.  
  
There was a collective muttering from the group.  
  
"Heh. I also never said I didn't. It wouldn't be very much fun if  
I just told you would it?"  
  
The glances of confusion he got from that were enough to keep him  
satisfied. The boys lost interest, figuring Ranma was just pulling  
their chains, which he was. He wasn't going to great lengths to  
disguise that fact either.  
  
"Man. I bet you wish you could have gotten Akane instead,"  
muttered Daisuke.  
  
"Not really," replied Ranma with a small shrug.  
  
"What do you mean? Akane's a total babe!" cried Hiroshi dumbly.  
  
"Maybe she is, but she's already got someone," said Ranma as he  
smiled at the boy.  
  
"Sh-she does?" muttered Daisuke.  
  
"Of course. I wonder how much Kuno would pay me to find out about  
this?" commented Ranma too himself.  
  
"Akane has a boyfriend?" stammered Hiroshi.  
  
"I wouldn't call him that, no," replied Ranma with a small shrug.  
His tone implied something more though and he smirked at the wide-eyed  
glares of everyone around him.  
  
"Who is he?" demanded one of the boys nearby.  
  
"Yeah!" agreed another student.  
  
Ranma smiled at the angry mob forming around him. "Who is he?  
Well..."  
  
Tink!  
  
Splat.  
  
Ranma was laid out on the ground with a baseball stuck deep into  
his cheek.  
  
"No!" cried one of the boys. "We've got to find out who this guy  
is!"  
  
"Damn it! Wake up Saotome!" agreed another student.  
  
The group began to slap the unconscious boy across his face and  
shake him violently.  
  
Ranma, who was neither knocked out, or in all that much pain,  
despite the ball and the rough handling, was thoroughly enjoying this  
little twist of fate.  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++  
  
"I'm sorry. Does it still hurt?" grumbled Akane.  
  
Ranma, true to form, was making a large show of how much pain he  
was in. He was leaning against his staff and staggering down the  
street with a painful expression on his face. "It's nothing, barely  
feel it."  
  
The pair paused as the sound of sweeping filled the air. They  
turned their heads in unison and stared at Genma Saotome, in his panda  
form, sweeping the front door of the local acupuncture clinic.  
  
"Hey," said the boy as he nodded at his father. Akane didn't  
notice him completely forget that he was supposed to be in pain  
though.  
  
The panda growled and looked at them in a friendly manner.  
  
The door opened and the man Ranma had seen on the street earlier  
stepped out. "Oh! Akane. I wasn't expecting to see you today."  
  
Ranma nodded his greeting and the pair looked at each other  
wordlessly.  
  
"You owe me an introduction," said Tofu cheerfully after several  
moments.  
  
"Ah. So I do. I am Ranma Saotome, it seems you have my father  
working for you now."  
  
"Really? I don't see the resemblance," said Tofu cheerfully.  
  
"I get that a lot," said Ranma cheerfully.  
  
Genma wasn't sure if he should be upset about it or not. Tofu  
ended that train of thought when he spoke up again though. "Why don't  
you come inside and have a cup of tea?"  
  
+++++++++++++++++++  
  
"What happened to your face Ranma?" asked the man as he noticed  
the large bandage over the boy's cheek.  
  
"Just a little baseball accident," replied the boy with a shrug.  
  
"Well. I have a balm that works wonders!" chimed Tofu. "Back in a  
jiffy!"  
  
Ranma frowned slightly at this. "Jiffy?"  
  
The phone rang suddenly and Tofu called from the back room. "Dang!  
Could you answer that Mr. Saotome?"  
  
Genma waddled over to the phone and picked it up. He stood there  
for several moments just staring forward.  
  
"AAARRRGGGGHHHH! Panda's can't talk!" lamented Genma's sign.  
  
Akane walked over and took the phone from him.  
  
Ranma looked into his cup of tea as if nothing happened. "Hmmm.  
Tofu and Kasumi make a similar cup of tea. Subtle flavorings, this is  
Ginseng and oddly enough, rose petals if I'm tasting right." He nodded  
too himself. "Very good for circulation."  
  
"Hello? Can I help you?" muttered Akane as she gave the boy an odd  
look. She paused for a moment and let the other person speak. "Yes,  
yes I see. Okay, bye." Without another word she turned towards the  
door. "Okay. I'm going home now."  
  
Ranma looked at her for a moment and sighed. "Is something wrong?"  
  
Akane was obviously lying when she spoke again. "No. Nothing like  
that."  
  
"Why rush away then? Don't feel like fighting for your man?"  
  
Akane turned around to slap him, but paused at the rather serious  
looking frown on his face.  
  
"What would you know?" she snapped as she looked down at the  
floor.  
  
"About something like love? Nothing really, not my cup of tea," he  
replied with a small shrug. "I'm probably the last person you want to  
go to for advice on that." Ranma's mind worked as he turned the  
situation over in his mind carefully. This could be loads of fun.  
Especially if the other party involved was who he thought it was. He  
so wanted to see a crack in that cheery personality.  
  
"Shut up," growled Akane as she put her hand over his mouth.  
"There's a girl, that Dr. Tofu likes."  
  
Ranma resumed his normal expression, but couldn't smile with her  
hand over his lips.  
  
"That was her on the phone, she's coming right over."  
  
The door opened behind them and Ranma stared forward. "Well, I'll  
say something for him..."  
  
Akane turned to glare at him as a little old woman walked into the  
office.  
  
"He certainly can pick them."  
  
"That's not her!" growled Akane.  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++  
  
"Out shopping Kasumi?" asked the largish man poking around a  
vegetable stand.  
  
The girl was walking by him in the street and she turned to smile.  
"No. Just visiting Dr. Tofu."  
  
The man nodded cheerfully and smiled back. As soon as she was  
gone, his smile turned into a frown. "Put out the word quick!"  
  
Another man who stood at his side nodded and rushed away.  
  
+++++++++++++++++++  
  
"Kasumi you say?" said Ranma as he looked at the girl. He tried  
his best to fake surprise, well not really, but that was half the fun.  
  
Akane didn't notice this and continued. "Yes. Dr. Tofu likes her  
doesn't he? The way he looks at her..."  
  
Tofu poked his head around the corner after them. "What are you  
two doing?"  
  
"Discussing life, love, and all those important matters," said  
Ranma cheerfully.  
  
Akane nodded slowly and looked uncertain.  
  
"Ah! I see!" said Tofu as he grinned at the pair. "I'll see to  
that wound now."  
  
Ranma nodded and followed after the man. Akane walked in after  
them and picked up her tea. It was still hot and she blew some of the  
steam off of the top. "I should have left."  
  
Ranma took the bandage off of his face and looked at the man.  
  
"Hmmm. The impression of that baseball; Akane hit it right?"  
  
The ponytailed boy didn't have to fake being surprised. "Huh?"  
  
"With an impression that deep, a bruise that big, who else?" said  
Tofu.  
  
Ranma turned to glare at Akane for a moment. "It was rather  
painful."  
  
"It was your fault for not paying attention!" she said as she  
blushed.  
  
Tofu looked somewhat surprised himself for a moment. "You  
mean...Akane really did hit that ball? I was...I was just joking!"  
Akane looked ashamed and the man walked over to pat her on the back.  
"But what's wrong with being active?"  
  
"True. It would keep a place like this in business," agreed Ranma.  
  
"But, but..." muttered the girl.  
  
"It just means you're healthy!"  
  
"Even if the rest of Furinkan isn't," agreed Ranma.  
  
"Would you shut up! That's not my fault!"  
  
"I never said it was," replied the boy calmly. "Still, it doesn't  
change the facts."  
  
"Hold still, I have to apply this disinfectant," said Tofu.  
  
The pair moved up close to each other for a moment. Tofu paused at  
the expression on the boy's face. He was actually looking at him  
directly and had a shady looking grin on his face. Tofu gently grabbed  
the boy by his head and turned him so he could see the wound clearly.  
His eyes narrowed as he rubbed some of the ointment on.  
  
"So, that's your game is it?" said Ranma calmly.  
  
"I should have known," grumbled Tofu as he realized there was no  
wound at all.  
  
"Mandrake?" whispered Ranma. "Haisefu, Chlrolista, and I believe a  
touch of Oregano? Who are you trying to kid Tofu?"  
  
Tofu would have stepped back with a shocked expression on his face  
if he had heard him. He'd have been wondering just how the boy knew  
the exact contents of the balm. Even more, he would have questioned  
why the boy was faking an injury like this, even going so far as to  
actually create a fake imprint and bruise. He would have realized that  
something was up, if Kasumi Tendo hadn't walked into the room at that  
very moment.  
  
Krak!  
  
"Uh!" Ranma's eyes went wide as he found himself looking at the  
world sideways. His neck was twisted at a ninety-degree angle so that  
his head was sideways, and he couldn't move it back.  
  
"K-k-k-kasumi!"  
  
"What the?" Ranma's eyes went wide as he saw the reaction the man  
got when he saw the woman.  
  
"Um, I thought I just heard something!" muttered Kasumi.  
  
"Yes, my neck," replied Ranma sourly. "Um, if you don't mind..."  
  
"Are you all right?" asked Kasumi as she approached the boy.  
  
He shied away from her uncomfortably and looked up at Tofu.  
"Great. He's gone."  
  
"Oh! Ranma isn't entirely human! I wouldn't worry about it," said  
Tofu as he patted Genma on the nose.  
  
"Pardon?" said Kasumi as she stared at him for a moment.  
  
The pigtailed boy's eyes went wide as he stared forward. "Huh?"  
  
"Not, human?" muttered Akane as she looked at him.  
  
"Does he always get this way?" muttered Ranma as he looked up at  
Kasumi.  
  
"Oh yes! He's very amusing don't you think?"  
  
"Very," replied Ranma as his cheerful expression returned once  
again. "In fact, you've just made my day!"  
  
"Oh! Doctor! I almost forgot! I brought these for you!" said  
Kasumi as she held out a covered plate.  
  
Tofu took the towel that covered the cookies and put it over his  
face. "Oh! How nice! A mask!"  
  
"Um, that's not what I meant..." said Kasumi as she smiled and  
blushed a little.  
  
"Very tasty!" said Tofu as he ate the plate.  
  
"Um. That's the..."  
  
Ranma was on his feet and standing at the door despite his neck.  
He reached into the pouch at his side and dug around while all this  
was going on, coming up with a small jar of some sort of balm. He  
opened it and put it on his cheek where Tofu had applied the balm.  
"That takes care of that!"  
  
"Dr. Tofu is so amusing isn't he?" asked Kasumi as she leaned in  
to her sister.  
  
"He's never like this when you're not around," said Akane as she  
smiled at him.  
  
"That's because her pure aura disrupts his chi field. He's  
allergic to her, but he does love her. He'll have to choose between  
you or his art."  
  
Both girls looked up at the boy standing beside them.  
  
"How ironic, trained his whole life in the mystic arts to become a  
better healer, and because of it he can never have what he truly  
wants. Sad isn't it?"  
  
"What?" stammered Akane as she looked at him oddly.  
  
"It's nothing," replied the boy calmly. "It's obvious he's not  
entirely there anymore. I doubt if I'll get anything useful done. I've  
counteracted the balm he tried to use on me anyway. The fool, he knows  
what he's doing though. Might be useful in the future. I believe he  
thought I was possessed at first. Ah well."  
  
Akane looked at him oddly. "I'd ask you what the hell you were  
talking about, but I think it's best if I just go."  
  
Ranma nodded and continued to watch the doctor stumble about. It  
was quite entertaining really.  
  
"Oh my! I wonder what's wrong with her? We could have gone home  
together."  
  
"I suppose you could have," replied Ranma calmly. The doctor was  
now tormenting his father, it was getting better and better.  
  
"I suppose I should leave too."  
  
"Why? She'll be all right," said Ranma. He didn't want the source  
of such interesting scenes leaving just yet.  
  
Kasumi ignored him and left.  
  
Ranma sighed and turned to follow her. He didn't really want to be  
around when the doctor recovered and discovered that his plan to  
'exorcise' the demon inside him had failed. Still, that balm had  
burned, it was a good thing he had something to neutralize it on him.  
This wasn't the first time something like this had happened too him.  
  
"The little love triangle is breaking up. Tofu might actually have  
a chance of being happy with Akane, so I guess it's for the best  
anyway that she gets over him." He turned to look back at the building  
for a moment and his cheerful grin returned. "I'm sure I can find  
other ways to amuse myself."  
  
+++++++++++++++  
  
Nabiki Tendo watched her fiancee calmly walk into the home and  
stroll by her. She didn't even blink as he turned the corner and  
ignored her completely. The entire time, his head was cocked sideways.  
"Is there something wrong with his neck?"  
  
+++++++++++++++++++  
  
Akane was sitting in a pile of debris. Her face was contorted in  
frustration. She stood up and put her hand against the wall as she  
struggled with her emotions. "I can't let it hurt me." She hung her  
head and closed her eyes.  
  
When she opened him, she realized that Ranma was staring at her  
about two inches from her face. "You know. Your doctor friend is quite  
an interesting man."  
  
"Gah!" She slammed his head into the ground. "What do you want?"  
  
"You didn't seem upset enough, so I thought I'd come by and help,"  
replied the boy with a shrug.  
  
"..."  
  
"What?" Ranma looked at her for a moment and grinned cheerfully as  
normal. He seemed to realize that his neck wasn't turned anymore  
suddenly and tested it a bit. "Hey. I'm cured."  
  
"In that case, do you have a minute?"  
  
The boy turned to look at her in confusion and pointed at himself.  
  
"Yes you. Come on."  
  
He wasn't sure what to say or do, so he simply followed.  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Akane growled as she kicked out at Ranma as fast as she could. The  
boy was gone and appeared elsewhere around her. He didn't even look  
like he was sweating at all.  
  
"This is quite interesting and all..."  
  
"It wouldn't be so boring if you'd just fight back!" snapped  
Akane.  
  
"I could be hurt though," he said as he vanished again and  
appeared behind her. "Besides, anger is good and all, but all the  
time? Maybe you should try something new. I know! How about  
depression, or something? Just for a change of pace?"  
  
The girl spun around and struck at him with her fist again. He  
appeared behind her as usual, but it was anticipated this time and she  
kicked out at him. He dodged easily by leaning back and shifting  
around the other strikes that followed. "Is this any better?"  
  
"No! I can't work off my stress if you don't fight me!"  
  
"Why would I want you to do that?" he replied cryptically.  
  
"What's with you?" she grumbled as she paused and stared at him.  
  
"Me? Nothing. In fact, I have no regrets, how about you? You'd be  
a lot happier and smile more if you didn't. You're not all that bad  
looking I suppose."  
  
Akane blinked. "Huh? What's that mean?"  
  
"Blew it!" said Ranma cheerfully as he poked her in the forehead  
and sent her too her rear.  
  
"What? That was dirty!"  
  
Ranma merely smiled at her flushed expression.  
  
++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Akane flopped down on her bed after coming out of the bath. She  
was dressed for bed, but the boy's words irritated her for some  
reason. "You're not all that bad looking I suppose."  
  
"That jerk! I am cute damn it!" she muttered to herself. It wasn't  
really all that much of an insult really. It certainly didn't sound  
like one anyway, she could never be sure with him. "Well, at least  
he's Nabiki's problem."  
  
Thinking about it again she sighed. "Do I have regrets?" It was  
something to think about later. She walked over to her desk and picked  
up a mirror. She smiled into it just to see. "I don't get it."  
  
When she looked up, she was halfway expecting to see him there  
with another smart-ass comment. He wasn't though, she merely looked up  
at the moon and turned off the light. "I'll deal with it tomorrow."  
  
+++++++++++++++++  
  
A few days later...  
  
"A wild boar!"  
  
"On a rampage!"  
  
The tiny burg of people deep within the wilds of Japan bustled  
with activity as the giant beast crashed through the small crowd of  
residents. It squealed angrily as it tore through carts of food and  
shoved people aside carelessly. Charging down the street, it moved  
towards a single figure wandering down the road.  
  
A few of the men who had managed to escape the path of the animal  
called too him. "You there! Get out of the way ya dang fool!"  
  
The boy turned too look at him, a bandana covered most of his  
forehead, despite it his hair hung almost below his eye line. He had  
no bags, no supplies and his clothes had seen better days. The only  
thing on his face, was a sinister looking grin as the animal charged  
forward. He raised his hands and put it up in a halting gesture.  
  
The animal ignored him and his grin widened a bit, revealing two  
fangs that protruded over his lips. "Get out of my way." His words  
were quiet as he stood his ground as the boar neared him.  
  
Finally they seemed to meet, the boy appeared to actually fade out  
of existence for a moment and turned his head back to look at the  
animal that had passed by him. He raised his hand and shook it off  
casually, splattering the dirt with blood as he did so.  
  
The creature fell forward onto the ground dead. Its entire skull  
was caved in from a blow to the front, and it's intestines were  
hanging out of several more along its side. They appeared to have been  
ripped out rather forcefully.  
  
"What the?" stammered one of the men as he shook his head to be  
sure of what he'd just seen.  
  
The villagers stepped back away from him as he approached them.  
With a fluid motion he pulled a small piece of map from his pocket.  
  
The crowd gasped and jerked back fearfully. He didn't seem to care  
at all.  
  
"Where is Furinkan High School?"  
  
One of the old men spoke up in confusion. "Furinkan High School?"  
  
Another old man moved up to look at the small map as the boy  
handed it too them. They handed it back and looked at him rather  
dumbly. "Ain't this Tokyo?"  
  
"That's five hundred miles north of here!"  
  
The boy nodded. "I see, forgive the commotion." He turned and  
started walking away.  
  
"Ya suppose he's lost?" asked one of the old men.  
  
That was the last thing the boy heard from the villagers as he  
continued to search. "Ranma Saotome! Prepare to meet me again! Because  
of you, I can never see hell! I shall destroy you for that!"  
  
Ryoga Hibiki growled angrily as he continued to search for his  
rival, sooner or later he'd find him. Then he could finally find  
peace, if not death.  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
TBC...  
  
Heh. Take that! I'm so evil it's scary sometimes! ^_^ 


	3. Mazoku 3

Ranma: Mazoku Factor  
  
Part 3  
  
The Eternal Boy  
  
++++++++++++++++  
  
Ranma sat on the porch of the Tendo home watching the  
Rain. He had his usual grin on his face as he nursed the cup  
of tea in his hands. He seemed quite content actually, of  
course, the one person who bothered him the most in the home  
came to speak with him. He grimaced as the girl walked up to  
him.  
  
"Ranma."  
  
"Hello Kasumi," replied the boy as he glanced at her  
from the corner of his eye.  
  
"You don't have any laundry do you?" said the girl as  
she smiled at him.  
  
The boy put on a cheerful face and looked up at her.  
"Oh, don't worry about me. I like to take care of that  
myself."  
  
"Oh?" said the girl with a surprised looking frown on  
her face.  
  
"Yes, my clothes require...special maintenance. I  
wouldn't want to bother you with details, and it's just  
easier if I do it myself."  
  
The girl nodded slightly at this. "All right."  
  
Ranma merely turned back towards the rain and watched it  
fall.  
  
Nearby, Akane and Nabiki stared at the exchange in front  
of the television.  
  
"You know, I've never seen him so much as take a bath,"  
commented Nabiki.  
  
"It's strange, but he is up earlier than us, what with  
his father's training and all," said Akane with a small  
shrug.  
  
Ranma made a point to ignore them, even though he could  
hear their whispers.  
  
"I don't get it, he always wears the same thing too,"  
said Akane as she glanced over at the boy. He was still  
wearing the same thing he had been when he'd arrived.  
  
"That is odd. Maybe he has more than one set?" said  
Nabiki as she passed a cool eye in the boy's direction as  
well. "Seems unlikely, those are some weird clothes."  
  
"I don't know, he doesn't smell or anything. He looks  
clean," said Akane as she scrunched up her face a little.  
  
Nabiki frowned a little at this. If the boy was just  
secretive about taking baths it probably would have never  
occurred to her. The fact that he wore the same clothes was  
odd. He also never seemed dirty. "He didn't even break a  
sweat when he fought Kuno. Something isn't right here."  
  
Akane looked at her sister in surprise. "What?"  
  
"He doesn't move much, when he does it usually counts,"  
replied her sister calmly. "He's never sweaty, or just plain  
dirty. Even when he spars with his father in the morning  
he's clean. He falls into the koi pond almost daily, that  
water isn't clean. By the time he gets back inside after his  
training, he's almost completely dry."  
  
Akane blinked and looked over at the boy again. Her  
sister was right. "But that's..."  
  
Ranma was looking quite pleased with himself at the  
moment. He simply sat there watching the grass grow. The  
confusion he was causing the two sisters was immensely  
satisfying.  
  
++++++++++++++++  
  
Meanwhile, far away...  
  
"So, you say it's this way?" Ryoga pointed down one of  
the roads in the middle of the countryside and glanced back  
at the farmer.  
  
"If it's Tokyo, it's five hundred miles north of here.  
This way," replied the man as he pointed in a different  
direction.  
  
The boy nodded and made a ninety-degree turn, to the  
left of where the man was pointing. "I see."  
  
++++++++++++++++  
  
One week later...  
  
Ryoga Hibiki stood on an unknown street, in an unknown  
place. The story of his life really, but his quest was all  
consuming. He would find Ranma Saotome.  
  
With a quick strike with his arm, he snagged a young boy  
who was walking by him. "Where is Furinkan High School?" He  
didn't even bother to look at the kid as he said it.  
  
"Say what?" said the boy dumbly.  
  
Ryoga turned his gaze onto the boy and frowned. The kid  
jerked his thumb towards the sign on the wall with the words  
'Furinkan High School' written on it. Ryoga stared at it for  
a moment and turned back towards the boy. "Where is Ranma  
Saotome?"  
  
"Huh? Saotome?" muttered the boy in confusion.  
  
Ryoga's head turned slowly towards the gates.  
  
+++++++++++++++++++  
  
Ranma smiled cheerfully as he sat back and relaxed  
against a tree. A small book rested in his palms as he  
watched the students go by. His school bag was unopened at  
his side, and the book in his hand was not one of his  
schoolbooks. The cover was blank and the writing inside was  
small, nearly illegible to most that might try to read it.  
His attention was only halfway on his reading material  
though.  
  
Nabiki Tendo was glaring at him from across the  
schoolyard; she'd given up on using Kuno for the moment. Not  
that it bothered him much. Kuno was fun, but he'd lose  
entertainment value quickly if he was overused. Not to  
mention, he was kind of curious about what she might try  
next. School was out, and he had decided to wait around for  
the two Tendo girls to finish with their social circles  
before heading back to the dojo. Soun seemed to want him to  
return with the pair for some reason.  
  
With a small sigh he stood up when he had noticed Nabiki  
start towards the gates of the school. Akane was still off  
on her own, but broke off when she noticed her sister  
leaving. Ranma moved towards them and suddenly froze in  
place.  
  
"What the?" He turned towards the gates and narrowed his  
eyes. "What the hell is that?" It was an incredibly strong  
force, unlike anything he'd felt before. As he thought about  
it, it was similar to a few things. Nothing that should be  
in Japan though, he frowned and glanced over at the two  
girls.  
  
Akane and Nabiki had noticed the boy had stopped, and  
the fact that he didn't have his usual smile on his face.  
  
"Something is up," muttered Nabiki.  
  
"Ranma?" said Akane in confusion.  
  
The boy vanished from sight, appearing a few feet away  
from where he had been. His pose hadn't appeared to change  
at all.  
  
"What the?" cried Akane as a resounding boom filled the  
school grounds and echoed in the silence for a moment.  
  
Ranma was watching the cloud of dust that occupied where  
he had once been standing. "I see."  
  
A voice came out of the dust. It was a disgusted  
sounding snorting chuckle. "Well, it seems you're still good  
at running away. Eh, Saotome?"  
  
"Ryoga Hibiki," said Ranma calmly.  
  
The cloud cleared and the student's gasped at the damage  
done to the ground. It was more than an impact crater. The  
earth had actually cracked and left a spider web like trail  
for ten feet in every direction. The boy inside stood up  
slowly and pulled his fist out of the ground. Bits of rock  
and dirt fell away from his fist and forearm as he did so.  
  
Ranma simply watched the boy calmly, his staff held at  
his side as if he hadn't even been attacked. "It's been a  
while. I wasn't expecting you to show up for some time."  
  
"Well, I'm glad I surprised you then," replied Ryoga  
coldly.  
  
"So? Did you want something?" asked Ranma with his smile  
forming again.  
  
Ryoga growled at the face. It was one he knew too well  
for his own liking. "To destroy you!"  
  
The ponytailed boy merely nodded. "Well, I'm afraid I  
can't allow that. I'm not finished just yet."  
  
"You never will if I have anything to say about it!"  
growled Ryoga.  
  
"How fortunate for me that you don't," replied Ranma  
calmly. "There is something different about you though. I  
can't quite place my finger on it. You're much stronger than  
you should be, especially for a mere human."  
  
Ryoga let out a terse laugh. "Mere human. You should  
know better than that."  
  
Ranma kept his cheerful mask hiding any surprise or  
emotion. "So it seems. You surprise me Hibiki."  
  
Ryoga gave him a dark smile and stood in a relaxed  
stance. "Ranma Saotome, because of you, I will never see  
hell. For that, I will destroy you."  
  
"If that's true it's you're own fault," replied the  
ponytailed boy calmly.  
  
"Maybe, but for my revenge, no cost is too great!"  
roared the lost boy as he took up a stance. "Prepare to  
die!"  
  
Ranma looked slightly annoyed at this and shook his  
head. "This isn't over that bread thing still is it?"  
  
"Bread?!!" snarled Ryoga hatefully. "You bastard! Do you  
think a mere bread feud would make me this angry?!"  
  
"Quite possibly," replied Ranma as calmly as ever.  
  
Ryoga snorted in half amused disgust. "This goes beyond  
a simple bread feud. After our duel, I swore that I would  
defeat you...no matter what the cost!"  
  
Ryoga charged forward and Ranma vanished, switching  
places with the lost boy as he staggered forward after his  
missed strike. He had the normal grin on his face and looked  
rather thoughtful for a moment.  
  
"What happened to you Hibiki. You've definitely  
improved."  
  
"Ha! You think I just wandered around looking for you  
Saotome? I have trained long and hard, and discovered  
secrets that ensure that you'll never defeat me now!"  
  
Ranma narrowed his eyes at the lost boy as he seemed to  
realize what was wrong. He couldn't feel Hibiki. He could  
see the boy, and Ryoga's movements affected the air. He  
could even see the signs of life, the boy was breathing, and  
his body was giving off heat. Something was missing though.  
"You don't have a soul, do you?" He was asking himself more  
than Ryoga.  
  
Ryoga just grinned. "Now that, is a secret."  
  
Ranma's smile faltered for a moment and he stepped back.  
"This could be somewhat problematic."  
  
+++++++++++++++++  
  
Akane and Nabiki stood next to each other, both of them  
were watching the exchange with increasing interest.  
  
"What's going on?" mumbled Nabiki under her breath.  
  
"Looks like your fiancee got that guy mad somehow," said  
Akane as she looked at the girl.  
  
"Don't call him that!" snapped Nabiki. "This looks like  
more than a passing annoyance."  
  
Akane nodded. "That boy said something about bread..."  
  
"And a duel," agreed Nabiki with a small nod.  
  
+++++++++++++++++  
  
Ryoga frowned at Ranma as the pair stood off. Both of  
them looked rather calm and collected.  
  
"You should know you can't beat me Hibiki," commented  
Ranma.  
  
"That remains to be seen," said the lost boy as his  
insane grin widened.  
  
Ranma's head moved slightly, he dipped his chin a bit  
and frowned.  
  
Ryoga charged forward, this time Ranma didn't move out  
of the way. The pair collided and Ranma lashed out with a  
super fast kick that hit his opponent square in his chest.  
The force threw Ryoga back, but not before he managed to  
land a right hook across Ranma's face.  
  
The ponytailed boy was knocked back a bit, but kept his  
feet.  
  
Ryoga was laid out across the ground. He quickly  
regained his feet and snarled.  
  
"What is this?" muttered Kuno as he appeared from behind  
a nearby tree.  
  
Akane looked at the boy's face. It was clear he was  
surprised by something he'd observed during the fight.  
  
Ranma had his eyes open now and was watching Ryoga  
carefully.  
  
"What's going on?" muttered Akane as she stepped back  
away from the battle for a moment.  
  
"Something's up?" asked Nabiki.  
  
Ryoga's angry cry as the boy charged forward again cut  
any answer off.  
  
Ranma stepped back and punched the boy in his face as he  
neared. The lost boy's head snapped back, but he remained on  
his feet. Ranma jumped over the kick the boy used to counter  
and spun around in the air, landing a blow on the boy's  
collar bone. There was a sickening crack as the bone broke  
and the pair flew apart as they both jumped back.  
  
Ryoga was still, his arm hung at his side and Ranma  
merely stood calmly with his staff still in his hand.  
  
"He hasn't used that stick of his yet," said Nabiki as  
she frowned at the boy.  
  
"Maybe he thinks it wouldn't be fair?" said Akane as she  
glanced at her older sister.  
  
"He just broke his arm, I doubt if he's too worried  
about being fair anyway," said Nabiki as she narrowed her  
eyes at the scene.  
  
Akane gasped. "Wait a minute!"  
  
Nabiki and Kuno both glanced towards her.  
  
"Ranma is actually fighting this boy!"  
  
Kuno and Nabiki both blinked.  
  
"I've never seen him use martial arts before," clarified  
Akane with an irritated frown. "Even when he spars with his  
father in the morning, he's never actually used the art."  
  
Nabiki blinked at this. Akane was right, the morning  
matches mostly consisted of Ranma vanishing and reappearing  
elsewhere. Occasionally the boy would strike at his father,  
but the blows were clumsy at best. "What the hell is this?  
Ranma is taking this boy seriously?"  
  
"That is no boy," replied Kuno calmly.  
  
Both girls looked at him in confusion.  
  
"Watch," said Kuno as he nodded towards the battle. "I  
fear even the dark sorcerer Ranma Saotome will be no match  
for this one."  
  
+++++++++++++++  
  
Ranma was feeling the heat. A few beads of sweat formed  
on his brow as he watched Ryoga stand there. His suspicions  
were true, and he was in serious trouble. "Damn! How the  
hell did he manage this?"  
  
Ryoga grinned at Ranma as he slowly stood upright. He  
popped his neck and flexed both his arms. "Not bad Saotome."  
  
"That first kick should have killed you," said Ranma  
calmly. "I also broke your neck Hibiki. Tell me, where did  
you learn this interesting trick?"  
  
"Heh. China, that's all the information you'll get from  
me Saotome."  
  
Ranma merely nodded. "I guess we all have our secrets  
Hibiki."  
  
"You've always been good at keeping yours monster,"  
growled Ryoga.  
  
The ponytailed boy stepped back into a combat stance  
again. "Maybe so, but I think that you don't know as much  
about me as you seem to think."  
  
Ryoga merely snorted. "Shut up and fight!"  
  
Ranma nodded and readied himself again. He tightened up  
his legs and relaxed. His eyes were closed and he had a  
smirk on his face. "This should be interesting. If I'm  
right, I don't have to hold back anymore."  
  
Ryoga took the initiative again and roared in anger as  
he charged like a blind bull.  
  
The ponytailed boy merely smiled and sidestepped. Ryoga  
passed him and hit the ground hard. There was a cloud of  
dust from the impact and the students that had surrounded  
the battle fell silent.  
  
Ranma glanced over his shoulder at the lost boy and  
smirked. "Not bad Hibiki." A single line formed on his cheek  
that started to bleed. "Not good enough though."  
  
The crowd gave a collective gasp as the boy on the  
ground suddenly exploded in a shower of blood. A gaping hole  
in his back became apparent.  
  
Ranma shook off his staff, the bottom portion of it was  
covered in the lost boy's blood. He turned away casually and  
walked up to his frozen fiancee and her sister. "We should  
go, he won't be out for long. I need to look into this  
before he finds me again. He could become quite annoying."  
  
"Y...you killed him!" gasped Akane.  
  
"Hmmm? You think so?" asked Ranma calmly.  
  
The students were looking at Ranma in horror, many of  
them were slowly backing away from him.  
  
"Look at him! You just murdered him!" cried Nabiki as  
she pointed at the body.  
  
"Great, now he's getting up again," commented Ranma as  
he glared at the two girls in irritation. "I told you we  
should have left."  
  
"Huh?" muttered Nabiki and Akane.  
  
"What do you speak of foul murder..." Kuno went silent  
at what he saw.  
  
Ryoga Hibiki was staggering to his feet with a painful  
expression on his face. "You tried to kill me!"  
  
"I did warn you last time we met didn't I?" replied  
Ranma calmly. "Give up already. I've got more important  
things to be worrying about besides you."  
  
"You bastard!" snarled Ryoga as he glared at the  
ponytailed boy hatefully.  
  
"Yes, yes. It's not like you stayed dead is it? I really  
wish you'd tell me how you managed that."  
  
Ryoga just smirked at him. "I'm a Wu."  
  
"Wu?" muttered Ranma as he blinked.  
  
The lost boy removed his bandanna and stared at the boy.  
A Chinese symbol was etched onto the skin of his forehead.  
"I had my soul removed. It doesn't matter how you hurt me  
now, you can never kill me. I'll hunt you to the ends of the  
earth Saotome! I will have my revenge yet!"  
  
"Revenge?" muttered Akane nervously. "What the hell did  
you do?"  
  
Ranma looked at her. "Me? Well, there was that whole  
meat bread incident, but I doubt if he'd take his soul out  
for that. I've heard it's rather painful actually." He  
turned to look at Ryoga. "That's not it is it?"  
  
"Don't play stupid Saotome!" snapped the boy.  
  
"Well, immortal or not, you're in no condition to fight  
for a little while," replied Ranma with a calm smile.  
  
Ryoga staggered forward. It was obvious he was having  
trouble breathing. "I'll destroy you yet..."  
  
Ranma replied by casually looking at Kuno. "Can I borrow  
this? Good." He snatched the boy's bokken away from him in a  
swift motion and slashed at Ryoga with it.  
  
The lost boy's head rolled off his shoulders and the  
body fell forward. Akane and Nabiki were both sprayed with  
blood as this happened.  
  
"There. That should keep him quiet for a little while,"  
commented Ranma as he handed the wooden blade back to the  
shocked Kuno. "Don't worry about him, he'll be all right in  
a few minutes. In the mean time I suggest that we leave the  
area. He won't be very happy when he wakes up."  
  
Both girls had looks of complete shock on their faces as  
they stared at the cheerfully smiling boy.  
  
"Aaaaaaauuuuuuggggghhhhh!" cried Akane.  
  
"My uniform!" gasped Nabiki.  
  
"Foul demon! You dare commit such a crime in front of  
the Mighty Blue Thunder!?" roared Kuno as he raised his  
blade over his head.  
  
Ranma didn't even seem to notice putting the head of his  
staff into the boy's face as he turned towards the gates. "I  
wonder what Kasumi will make for dinner tonight?"  
  
Nabiki and Akane simply stood there, horror clear on  
their faces as they turned to look at Ryoga Hibiki's body.  
  
"Hey..." muttered Akane dumbly. "His head."  
  
Nabiki glanced over at the boy. He was quite dead, but  
his head hadn't rolled as far as she had thought. In fact,  
it looked like it was still attached a little. The wound was  
still quite large though and blood was pooling around the  
boy's body.  
  
"What should we do?" muttered one of the nearby  
students.  
  
"Should we call the police?" stammered one of the girls  
fearfully. The crowd exploded in nervous and excited  
chatter.  
  
"Ranma Saotome is a murderer?"  
  
"Boy, I saw that coming."  
  
"Someone call the cops!"  
  
"Woah! A real dead body!"  
  
"I think I'm gonna be sick!"  
  
"We need an ambulance!"  
  
"He's dead moron!"  
  
"Don't bother, I'm fine."  
  
The crowd paused suddenly, everyone turned as one and  
simply watched in awe as Ryoga Hibiki stood up.  
  
Nabiki and Akane were both quite pale.  
  
Ryoga was far from healed, his wound was much smaller  
and his head was mostly attached at this point. Blood was  
pouring from his lips as he staggered too his feet. "This is  
going to be sore for a couple of days. Damn you Ranma!"  
  
"He's gone," stammered one of the nearby girls as she  
pointed at the gates.  
  
Ryoga turned to look at her and she passed out cold.  
Several other students followed her example, a few of them  
male.  
  
"Damn. That coward! How dare he run away!" snarled Ryoga  
as he rushed off the school grounds. He wasn't quite up to  
running yet, but managed a jog barely. "Wait until I get my  
hands on you Saotome!"  
  
Akane and Nabiki both looked at each other. Neither one  
had any idea what to say.  
  
+++++++++++++++++  
  
Ranma Saotome sat on the porch of the Tendo home with an  
old looking book in his hand. He had a thoughtful look on  
his face as he read silently. "Interesting."  
  
The Tendo family was sitting behind him with his father.  
None of them looked particularly happy with him at the  
moment.  
  
"What have you done boy?"  
  
"Annoyed him apparently, not much else unfortunately,"  
commented Ranma calmly.  
  
"This is more than an annoyance! What the hell was that  
thing?"  
  
"He's called Ryoga Hibiki, and he's a Wu now  
apparently," said Ranma calmly. "That's definitely not a  
good thing." He closed the book in his hand and stood up.  
  
Akane growled irritably at the answer. "What the hell is  
a Wu?"  
  
"Hmmm," said Ranma as he thought about it with his  
cheerful grin.  
  
"Tell us 'it's a secret' and I'll clock you one!"  
snapped Akane.  
  
Ranma stared at her without his grin wavering. "Oh, all  
right. I suppose I can tell you. Not until I find out more  
though. I'm not entirely sure what a Wu is myself. Shouldn't  
be very hard to find out. Not for me at any rate."  
  
"What's that supposed to mean?" grumbled Nabiki.  
  
"My son is quite knowledgeable about the mystic arts,"  
said Genma calmly. He appeared to have calmed considerably  
and was drinking tea.  
  
"Saotome?" muttered Soun in confusion.  
  
"When my son was just a boy, he took it upon himself to  
become a master of the martial arts," said Genma as he  
looked around at the Tendo family. Ranma walked towards his  
room as the man spoke and ignored the story.  
  
Genma continued after the boy left. "He chose to focus  
on the more mystical art rather than the physical art; Chi  
and meditation techniques, energy manipulation, and the more  
mystical forms of the art. As his father, I ensured that his  
form in the physical art did not diminish, and allowed him  
to pursue these arts. Especially after I discovered that he  
was quite skilled at them. Although he is a practitioner of  
Saotome Ryu, he will create his own branch of the Anything  
Goes Style. One of his children will learn to be the heir of  
our family art, any others will continue his arts. We agreed  
upon this several years ago." The man gave a simple nod at  
this and looked at the Tendos.  
  
Soun merely nodded. "I see. I begin to understand your  
son more now Saotome."  
  
"Yes, he is very skilled. Some of his techniques will be  
incorporated into Saotome Ryu. He has discovered techniques  
to increase his strength and agility, as well as many other  
aspects of his body."  
  
"Which is why he doesn't ever seem to need a bath," said  
Nabiki as she frowned at the older Saotome.  
  
"I'm not sure about that one," replied the man with a  
small shrug. "Ranma does not bathe often though. Even when  
he does, it doesn't seem as if he needs to."  
  
"Don't ask don't tell?" said Nabiki as she stared the  
man down.  
  
"Why would I care about that?" asked Genma dumbly.  
  
"That's not what worries me," grumbled the girl under  
her breath as she looked away from the man.  
  
Genma shrugged again, and the conversation ended.  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Three days later, deep in the woods of Japan, Ryoga  
Hibiki walked calmly. Two walnuts scraped together in his  
hand as he strolled through the wilderness.  
  
"Ranma Saotome, I will have my revenge. You did this to  
my life. You made it into a disaster. Just like this walnut,  
I shall crush your throat. I doubt if that will kill you,  
but I can get creative."  
  
He continued to wander with a dark looking smile on his  
face.  
  
++++++++++++++++++++  
  
"Well Ranma?" Akane and Nabiki were sitting at the table  
while Ranma sat on the porch. "What did you do to this Ryoga  
anyway? When are you going to explain to us what the hell he  
is?"  
  
The boy glanced back at her, his grin as cheery and  
annoying as ever. "Oh, that? I'd almost forgotten."  
  
Kasumi walked into the room with a letter in her hand.  
"Ranma. This came into the mail for you today! From a Ryoga  
Hibiki..."  
  
Nabiki gasped and quickly snatched it away from Kasumi.  
She opened it before the girl could speak and stared at what  
was inside. "It's a challenge!"  
  
"Hmmm?" said the boy as he looked up at her as if he  
hadn't been paying attention at all. "Oh? Really? I suppose  
I'll have to answer it then." He looked back out into the  
yard and appeared to zone out.  
  
"No you don't Saotome! You're gonna explain this right  
now!" cried Nabiki angrily.  
  
Ranma sighed and glanced up at the three rather  
impatient sisters. Kasumi didn't look very impatient, but  
was rather eager to find out what the fuss was about.  
  
"Oh, very well." He sighed and turned to face them. "It  
all started at my old high school. I was going to a boy's  
school and lunchtime was something of...a challenge."  
  
+++++++++++++++++  
  
The rush to the lunch counter was as maddening as it  
always was. Hundreds of boys rushing up to get their hands  
on the food.  
  
The lunch woman held up a roll on a fork and called out  
the ravaged crowd. "Last Curry bread of the day!" With a  
grunt, she tossed it over the crowd.  
  
Ryoga Hibiki jumped high over the heads of the crowd and  
reached for the projectile. "It's mine!"  
  
Only to be knocked away as someone landed on his head.  
  
Ranma Saotome landed opposite the crowd with the bread  
in his hand. He glanced back over his shoulder and saw the  
crowd glance at him and then move back towards the lunch  
counter.  
  
A single figure didn't though. Ryoga Hibiki glared at  
Ranma with hate filled eyes. "Ranma Saotome! I shall never  
forget this offence of the curry bread!"  
  
The ponytailed boy looked at him and smirked. "Oh  
really?" Without another word he turned away and walked off.  
His mind turned as he remembered the pained expression he'd  
seen on the boy's face. "This one could be interesting."  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
"All this...was over bread?" muttered Akane dumbly.  
  
"You're joking right? One stupid piece of bread?"  
muttered Nabiki.  
  
"Oh! Don't be silly!" said Ranma cheerfully. "There was  
the last Meat Bread, Seaweed Bread, Cutlet Sandwich, Croquet  
Bread, Chow Mein Bread, Melon Bread..." He ticked off the  
names of various lunch foods and the girls turned away in  
disgust.  
  
"It sounds like a lot of straws on one camels back,"  
commented Kasumi.  
  
"Well, it started out that way," agreed Ranma. "But it  
wasn't quite enough. Eventually he challenged me."  
  
"Of course. I thought this was a bit much for something  
so stupid," grumbled Nabiki.  
  
"Well, I wouldn't put it past him, but yes, there is a  
bit more. You see, he challenged me to a fight at an  
abandoned lot near our homes."  
  
The girls waited patiently for Ranma to continue, but he  
simply sat drinking tea.  
  
Finally Nabiki got tired of waiting. "And?"  
  
"And what?" asked Ranma as he looked at her.  
  
"Finish the story!" she snapped angrily.  
  
"Oh. You wanted more? It's nothing special really. He  
didn't show up. After three days I decided to wait another  
day." Ranma smirked at this. He knew how long it would take  
Ryoga to meet him the whole time. "On the fourth day, we  
met, and I beat him rather soundly. He didn't take it well."  
  
"That's it?" muttered Akane.  
  
"Pretty much," said Ranma with a small shrug.  
  
"So he's mad that you beat him? Big deal!" grumbled  
Nabiki irritably.  
  
"Not so much that," replied Ranma with a small shrug.  
"There was something else as well..."  
  
"What?" asked Nabiki impatiently.  
  
"Oh! That's right! I was supposed to tell you about Wu!"  
said Ranma as he smacked his palm as if he'd just thought of  
it.  
  
Nabiki's face fell, it was the most information she'd  
ever gotten out of him, so she'd decided not to push it.  
"What about them."  
  
"Well, Wu are basically Zombies," said Ranma as he  
smiled at them.  
  
"What?" muttered Akane dumbly.  
  
"Bodies without souls," clarified the boy. "It's rather  
complicated really. Because his body doesn't have a soul, he  
can't really die. So his body heals itself no matter what  
happens to him."  
  
"How did he manage something like that?" muttered Nabiki  
dumbly.  
  
"Well, from what I understand, most Wu are created when  
someone has their soul removed by a powerful sorcerer. The  
Wu becomes a slave and has to do the bidding of whoever  
created them. They make very good bodyguards from what I  
understand. It's an outdated practice, and most of them are  
gone now. When the sorcerer dies, so does the Wu."  
  
"So, this Ryoga guy is working for some evil sorcerer?"  
Nabiki narrowed her eyes at Ranma.  
  
"I doubt it," he replied simply. "It seems there is a  
way to do it to yourself. Very little is known about it  
generally, as the legend itself being so obscure points  
out."  
  
"So? What does that mean?"  
  
"He took out his own soul, and placed it inside  
something for safe keeping. The only way to actually kill  
him, would be to find whatever it is he stuck his soul into  
and destroy it."  
  
The girls stared at him dumbly.  
  
"Quite difficult to do really. He could have stuck it  
into anything. The most common objects to do this with are  
statues, and dolls. Anything that doesn't move or break  
easily would work well."  
  
"This is crazy!" cried Akane.  
  
"You did see it for yourself," replied the ponytailed  
boy with a shrug.  
  
Kasumi just looked confused, but Akane and Nabiki  
immediately fell silent.  
  
"If there's nothing else, I should probably go to  
sleep," said Ranma as he stood up from his seat.  
  
"Wait!" Akane frowned at him and held up his challenge  
letter. "This thing is dated yesterday!"  
  
"Eh?" muttered Ranma in confusion. "Oh. I wouldn't worry  
about that. He's got the world's worst sense of direction.  
Right now he's probably asking somebody..."  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Ryoga growled in frustration as he turned down a  
different road. "So it's this way to Tokyo?"  
  
The farmer snapped at him impatiently. "No! Idiot! It's  
this way! This way! Why are you going that way?!"  
  
Ryoga nodded and moved in the opposite direction, still  
not where he was directed to go. The farmer gave up and  
continued on his own.  
  
"Ranma," growled the lost boy. An image formed in his  
mind, a painful memory.  
  
"Well, looks like your curse is almost up Hibiki," said  
Ranma as he stared at the broken form of Ryoga Hibiki. The  
boy was on the ground, several marks were apparent from the  
fight that he had just lost.  
  
"Damn. You win Saotome," he growled.  
  
"Family curses usually last several hundred years. Yours  
is weakening, in a few generations, maybe even the next, it  
will be gone."  
  
Ryoga stared at him. "Huh? What do you mean?"  
  
"It's nothing. Just an observation really. You've lost  
Hibiki, as such, I'm taking my payment for my trouble."  
  
"It's your right," said Ryoga as he closed his eyes and  
waited for the deathblow. "Just end it fast!"  
  
"Why would I do something like that Hibiki?" replied the  
boy calmly. A soft glow had started to form around his body.  
"You see, you've started to become an annoyance. The next  
time I see you, I will kill you. You can't win, you never  
will be able too."  
  
"Wha?" muttered the boy through his pain.  
  
"Instead, I'll just make sure you can't find me," said  
Ranma as he grinned at the boy. "Curses like yours are  
interesting, you see...not many know that they can be  
recharged."  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
Ranma chuckled and the glow around his body brightened  
for a moment. "Your curse will taint your family for another  
thousand years now Hibiki. Consider this a warning, next  
time I won't be so kind."  
  
The ponytailed boy walked away with a smirk on his face  
as Ryoga lay on the ground with his eyes wide with horror.  
"No! You...you can't do this to me! No!!!"  
  
Ryoga clenched his fist as the memory faded away. Hate  
filled his soul as he continued to plod onward. "Ranma..."  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
One week later...  
  
Students were gathered around the athletics field, they  
sat behind the fences and on the slope of the massive grass  
arena. Ranma and Ryoga stood off, each staring at the other  
in their own way. Ranma was a cheerful calm, while Ryoga had  
a hard determination and a frown.  
  
"So, we meet again Saotome," growled Ryoga as he leveled  
a hard stare at the boy.  
  
"Indeed," agreed Ranma calmly. "I don't see why you're  
so upset. I mean, it's not like you didn't already have the  
curse..."  
  
"Shut up!" snapped Ryoga angrily. "I'll carry this  
burden for a thousand years alone! I can never have  
children! I can never die! I'll make you suffer for the  
torment I'll endure!"  
  
"You haven't even started to endure it yet and you're  
already upset?" muttered Ranma as he frowned at the boy.  
  
"Silence! Enough chatter! I attack!" snapped Ryoga as he  
lunged forward.  
  
Ranma backed away casually, his hands still in his  
pockets.  
  
"Without that stick of yours, you'll be easy pickings!"  
snapped Ryoga as he grinned at his opponent.  
  
Ranma slowly opened his eyes and didn't look bothered in  
the slightest. "Oh really?"  
  
"Ranma! Just die!"  
  
The ponytailed boy seemed to vanish quite suddenly. He  
appeared opposite Ryoga and shook off his hand. "Ryoga.  
You're such a heartless man."  
  
The lost boy fell over onto the grass, a gaping hole in  
his chest where his heart had once been.  
  
The muscle in Ranma's hands seemed to melt away as it  
rotted at an alarming rate. He tossed it to the ground with  
a slightly disgusted frown and turned to face his opponent.  
  
"It's going to take more than that to hurt me Saotome,"  
said Ryoga as he slowly stood up and faced the boy again.  
The hole in his chest was closing fast enough to be visible.  
"In fact, the more you hurt me, the easier it becomes to  
heal myself. You can't win. Sooner or later you'll have to  
stop. I can go on forever!"  
  
Ranma merely stood there, not looking any more worried  
than he had before. "Perhaps."  
  
Ryoga kicked up a patch of dirt, Ranma merely shifted to  
avoid it. The lost boy grinned as he charged forward again.  
  
In an instant he had removed one of the many bandannas  
he was now wearing, and had wrapped it around his opponent's  
wrist. "This will keep you from running away!" He lashed out  
with his arm in a blow that was easily knocked aside.  
  
"Tell me something Ryoga. How many of those bandannas  
are you wearing?"  
  
Ryoga growled in frustration. "You won't make light of  
this Saotome!"  
  
+++++++++++++++++  
  
Akane and Nabiki sat watching the fight near to each  
other. Neither of them had a very readable expression on  
their faces.  
  
One of the boys in the crowd made a comment. "Man! That  
guy might even be a match for Saotome!"  
  
"Are you kidding? Ranma killed him twice yesterday!"  
said one of the other students.  
  
"Ranma doesn't look worried," said Nabiki as she turned  
to glance at her sister. "That kind of worries me."  
  
The younger girl merely nodded.  
  
+++++++++++++++++++  
  
"Hold still damn you!" growled Ryoga angrily as he  
lashed out with another kick that was easily avoided.  
  
"That wouldn't be very smart," said Ranma as he ducked  
under another clumsy punch.  
  
"You can't hurt me, you can't escape, just give up!"  
snarled Ryoga.  
  
"Can't hurt you? Don't be silly!" said Ranma calmly. He  
raised his palm into the air and casually slapped Ryoga on  
his cheek.  
  
The pair froze as Ryoga simply blinked. "What the?"  
  
"Really Hibiki, I'm surprised you thought so little of  
me," said Ranma as the lost boy dropped the bandanna that  
kept him attached to Ranma.  
  
Ryoga's face had started to smoke, the skin was peeling  
away where Ranma had struck him. "What? What is this..."  
Ryoga's voice cut off as he started to howl in pain, he  
scratched at the side of his face desperately as a cloud of  
smoke started to rise from his burning skin. He fell too his  
knees and growled in anger and pain. "What have you done to  
me?"  
  
Ranma merely smiled. "Not feeling quite so confident  
anymore are we Hibiki?"  
  
Ryoga glared up at him as the wound on his face started  
to calm. It wasn't healing very quickly at all. In fact, it  
seemed to be growing a little still as it sizzled angrily.  
He slowly stood to his feet and glared at his opponent.  
"This might not be as easy as I'd thought Saotome. I was  
hoping you'd find a way to make it more interesting." He  
cracked his knuckles as he got an odd looking grin on his  
face.  
  
"I aim to please, but you may regret not running  
Hibiki," said Ranma as his own smirk widened.  
  
"I really am going to have to thank Kasumi for this  
though, who could have known it would prove so useful?"  
Ranma held up his fist and glanced at it for a moment.  
"Shall we continue?"  
  
"Shut up and fight Ranma!" growled Ryoga as he charged  
forward again.  
  
++++++++++++++++++  
  
TBC...  
  
^_^ I know I'm being bad, but I've got other things to  
do tonight, so you'll just have to wait to find out what  
happens in this battle. Sorry. ^_^ Well, not really...I kind  
of enjoy doing this. I know it's evil, but I just can't help  
myself! 


	4. Mazoku 4

Ranma: Mazoku Factor  
  
Part 4  
  
A duel of fate.  
  
++++++++++++++++  
  
Ranma stood casually as he watched Ryoga Hibiki struggle to  
stay on his feet as his face smoked angrily.  
  
"Arrrggghh! What the hell did you do to me?" snarled the lost  
boy as he glared up at his enemy.  
  
"Do?" replied Ranma calmly.  
  
Ryoga staggered back onto his feet as the sizzling skin on  
his face slowly stopped smoking. The flesh was still rotting away  
slowly from his face though. "Damn!"  
  
"That's a good look for you Ryoga," said Ranma as he smirked  
at the boy.  
  
"Just shut up and die!" snarled Ryoga hatefully as he charged  
forward.  
  
"Really Hibiki, I wouldn't talk about being dead," said Ranma  
as he lashed out with his hand again and caught the boy on his  
other cheek in a slap.  
  
Ryoga screamed in agony as he fell to his knees once again.  
"Aaaaarrrggghhh! What did you do to me?" The other side of his  
face began to smoke as the skin peeled away slowly and smoldered.  
  
  
"I'm putting you where you belong Hibiki," said Ranma calmly  
as he dusted off both his hands and took a single step back.  
  
Ryoga gasped as he saw several small white specks of powder  
fall from the boy's hands. "What?"  
  
"I doubt if this will take care of you permanently Hibiki,  
but it should keep you out of my hair until I find a more  
permanent solution." Ranma turned his back on Ryoga and started  
to walk away.  
  
Ryoga snarled and tried to lunge forward, but something  
stopped him. He looked down and gasped. His legs were stuck into  
the ground, and he was slowly sinking into the earth. "What?"  
  
"Have a nice nap Hibiki," said the ponytailed boy as he  
glanced over his shoulder and continued to walk away.  
  
"Damn you Ranma! I'll be back!" screamed the boy angrily.  
  
"I know," said the boy as he calmly strolled into the shocked  
crowd.  
  
The students looked on in shocked horror as Ryoga Hibiki  
slowly sank into the ground. It was something that would cause  
nightmares for weeks to come. Frightened muttering began to form  
within the mob as they parted for Ranma as he walked through  
them. He had gone silent and merely stared forward as his head  
slowly sank into the dirt. The ground where he sank was little  
more than a small pile of upturned soil.  
  
Akane rushed up to Ranma and grabbed his shoulder as he left.  
"What did you do to him?" she demanded.  
  
"Huh?" said Ranma as he looked at her. His face was once  
again the cheerful mask he usually wore. "Nothing really. I just  
put him to sleep for a little while that's all."  
  
"Some kind of sleeping powder?" muttered Nabiki as she moved  
up beside her sister.  
  
"You could say that," said Ranma as he held up a small bottle  
of something in front of her face.  
  
"Sleeping powder?" gasped Akane as she looked at it. "That's  
crazy!"  
  
"You're right, it is a little bit of a stretch isn't it?"  
asked Ranma calmly as he glanced at her.  
  
"A salt shaker?" muttered Nabiki as she took the small bottle  
from his hand.  
  
"Well, that is how you kill a zombie," replied the boy with a  
small shrug. "That's essentially what he is, but his healing  
ability will make it a merely temporary solution. I'm not sure  
how long it will last, and he won't be happy when he wakes up. I  
suggest we leave."  
  
"What?" muttered Akane dumbly as she looked at the small  
shaker.  
  
"Kasumi was very kind to loan it to me, I'll have to thank  
her later," said Ranma as he shrugged his shoulders and started  
towards the street.  
  
Kuno had stood silently as all this went on. He had a deep  
frown on his face as he watched Ranma talk with the girls.  
"Saotome, it seems you are more dangerous than I had first  
imagined. This does not bode well at all."  
  
Nabiki gave him a small gasp as she heard this and turned  
away. Kuno would have to be very careful or he'd end up getting  
himself killed. As much of an idiot as he was, she didn't want  
that for him. Ranma was showing himself to be someone that  
shouldn't be taken lightly. She walked over to his side and  
grabbed his sleeve. "Let me deal with this for now. He's too  
dangerous."  
  
Kuno glanced at her for a moment with his scowl never  
wavering. He seemed to ponder what she had told him for a moment.  
"Very well Nabiki Tendo. Do not think I will sit idly long  
though."  
  
The girl merely nodded and started towards the gates.  
  
++++++++++++++++  
  
Nabiki walked with Akane a short distance behind Ranma as  
they moved towards the Tendo home.  
  
"I don't like this," she muttered under her breath.  
  
"I don't get it either," agreed the younger girl. "How does  
he do that stuff?"  
  
"That doesn't worry me as much as what he's planning. He's up  
to something Akane, I can smell it."  
  
"So, you think he has some sort of plan?" asked the younger  
girl.  
  
Nabiki nodded. "I think we're involved somehow too. Maybe not  
before he came here, but now he's planning on using us in  
whatever it is he's doing."  
  
"What? Why?" asked Akane. Her face hardened a bit more as she  
glanced at his back. "Use us?"  
  
Nabiki glanced at her sister and looked back at Ranma once  
again. "He never pays attention to much, but with us, he's  
showing a little too much interest for my liking, especially you  
and me. He's ignored almost everyone else he's met."  
  
"What about that Ryoga guy?" muttered Akane with an  
uncomfortable looking shiver.  
  
"He couldn't ignore him, I get the feeling he's involved too  
now though."  
  
Ranma could hear the both of them, and said nothing as he  
merely continued walking. "Nabiki Tendo, you could become more  
useful than I had thought," he mused to himself with a small  
chuckle. Neither one of the girls noticed this.  
  
+++++++++++++++++  
  
Evening at the Tendo dojo was relatively quiet. Ranma didn't  
speak and had his nose in a book, and neither one of the girls  
related what had happened at school to anyone else.  
  
The atmosphere was quiet and tense as they ate dinner. Kasumi  
and both of the adults seemed oblivious to this, and Ranma seemed  
to rather enjoy it.  
  
At about ten o'clock, Ranma stood up and glanced at those  
around him for a moment. Most everyone was relaxing and watching  
a television show while waiting to go to bed. Without a word he  
started towards the door.  
  
"Where are you going?" asked Akane irritably as she noticed  
the boy leaving.  
  
"Just out for a bit, I need to check up on something," said  
the boy as he stopped just in front of the door. He didn't even  
bother looking back at her. "I shouldn't be long, but don't  
bother waiting up."  
  
The girl frowned and glanced over her shoulder. Nabiki was  
sitting at the table, watching the events unfold. The older girl  
narrowed her eyes and nodded at Akane.  
  
Reluctantly, Akane walked back into the home and sat down.  
There really wasn't anything she could do to stop him short of  
beating him into submission.  
  
Nabiki glanced at her sister. "We need to find out what's  
going on. Asking him won't do us any good."  
  
"What do we do?" asked the younger girl.  
  
"We watch, and wait," replied Nabiki. "Sooner or later, he'll  
have to reveal something. Then it's up to me to put it all  
together."  
  
Akane nodded. "All right."  
  
+++++++++++++++++++  
  
Ranma stood under the moonlight staring at a small patch of  
dirt in the courtyard at Furinkan High. "Seems I'll have to  
wait," he muttered under his breath. He walked over to a nearby  
tree and leaned against it.  
  
The night was silent and he seemed to close his eyes as he  
waited patiently for almost half an hour.  
  
Finally, the ground started to shift as the dirt pushed  
itself up from below. "It's about time," commented Ranma as he  
became alert immediately and walked over to the disturbance.  
  
Ryoga Hibiki's head pushed itself out of the ground and his  
eyes opened. Ranma stood over him and smirked as he watched the  
boy slowly climb out of the ground.  
  
"Saotome. Why am I not surprised to see you here?" growled  
the lost boy.  
  
"Well Hibiki. It seems we have some things to discuss.  
Attacking me was rather stupid you know."  
  
Ryoga growled and turned his eyes aside. "You know I'll kill  
you sooner or later, why not get it over with?"  
  
"Behave, or I'll put you back where I found you," said Ranma  
cheerfully as he held out a canister of salt.  
  
Ryoga's anger flared, but he became visibly relaxed. "Damn  
you."  
  
"Enjoy your nap?" asked Ranma as he walked around the boy and  
looked him up and down. Ryoga was almost completely healed, if a  
bit dirty. Only a few small red marks showed he'd ever been  
injured in the first place.  
  
"It was rather relaxing, once the burning stopped," growled  
Ryoga as he watched the boy cautiously.  
  
"Good, now to business," said Ranma calmly.  
  
"What do you want from me?" snorted Ryoga.  
  
"Nothing really. I know that you'll try to kill me again  
sooner or later. Once you figure out how to avoid this new  
weakness of yours that is." Ranma turned to face him again and  
leaned against his staff. "You are a rather interesting piece of  
work though. I imagine being a Wu is quite useful at times."  
  
"Stuff it Saotome. I might not be able to beat you now, but  
you know sooner or later I'll find a way. There's nothing you can  
do to stop that."  
  
"You'd be surprised. For now, let's be civil." Ranma glanced  
over his shoulder at the building and then looked back at Ryoga.  
  
"What do you want?" snorted Ryoga as he crossed his arms and  
relaxed a bit more.  
  
"A good training dummy. You'll work nicely, but that's not  
why I'm here. You'd have become that regardless. It's nice to  
know I can't kill you actually. I don't have to worry about  
techniques that might get me into trouble if they're too strong  
for you."  
  
Ryoga growled and his anger flared once again. Ranma shook  
the salt once again and he backed down.  
  
"Yes, very nice," said Ranma calmly. "You do realize that  
it's going to take more than what you have now to beat me don't  
you? Even as a Wu, you're still a weak Wu. No match for me."  
  
"That will change," snarled Ryoga.  
  
"It would be rather simple for me to keep you in the ground  
actually. Salt will always be a weakness too you. There's no way  
for you to develop an immunity to it. It's the nature of what you  
did to yourself."  
  
Ryoga glared at him and went quiet.  
  
"I'd just need to keep salting the ground where you sleep.  
The more I use, the longer it will last. This container is good  
for about a month actually." He shook the salt canister and  
smirked at the lost boy. "You'd be quite helpless, and I'm sure I  
could figure out a way to take care of you on a more permanent  
basis with a little time. However..."  
  
"However?" snorted Ryoga.  
  
"I think you might be useful. I would have just killed you  
and gotten it over with if that weren't the case."  
  
"Useful? To you? Ha!" snarled Ryoga hatefully.  
  
"You'd think not, but I'm sure I can think of something,"  
said Ranma calmly. "As for your newfound powers. You don't have a  
chance of beating me Hibiki. You'll just end up having to regrow  
yourself again. You'll have to become much stronger than you are  
now. I'd suggest a training trip, but you'd probably miss the  
point and just punch a few dozen trees down before coming back to  
fight again. I'd probably grow tired of that rather quickly."  
  
Ryoga narrowed his eyes at this, but didn't argue. "What do  
you want from me?"  
  
It's much more fun for me if I don't tell you," said Ranma.  
"I'll be seeing you around Hibiki."  
  
Ryoga growled. "You're right, you will."  
  
"Don't disappoint me."  
  
Ryoga merely snorted and turned away. "You'll regret setting  
me loose Saotome."  
  
"I seriously doubt that Hibiki. There isn't much that I do  
and regret," said Ranma to himself.  
  
Ryoga turned towards the school gates and wandered into the  
street. Ranma watched him for a moment and turned towards the  
bushes nearby. "He's gone now, you can come out."  
  
The bushes near the school building shuffled a bit and  
Tatewaki Kuno stood up and glared at the boy. "So, we meet again  
Saotome."  
  
"Heh. You've been waiting there for some time have you?"  
  
"I knew you would return sooner or later villain."  
  
"You know just how to talk to me don't you. I'm starting to  
like you."  
  
"That causes me no end of displeasure," snorted Kuno as he  
calmly walked out of his hiding place and strolled in front of  
the boy. They stood for a moment regarding each other.  
  
"Did you find out what you wanted?"  
  
"I had suspected that thing was your creation," said Kuno as  
he glanced at where Ryoga had gone.  
  
"No, I'm afraid not. He's got focus if nothing else. He'd  
have attacked me right away if he hadn't known I had this." Ranma  
shook the salt in his hand once again before placing it inside  
his robes.  
  
"I see," said Kuno as he gave a short nod.  
  
"You're worried about me are you?" asked Ranma as he glanced  
at the boy for a moment.  
  
"Worried? For you?" asked the boy with a shocked looking  
frown on his face.  
  
"About me, not for me," clarified Ranma with a small chuckle.  
"Something about me bothers you doesn't it?"  
  
"That is obvious," snorted Kuno. "You are a villain, and do  
not disguise your intentions."  
  
"Hmmm. The best place to hide is in plain sight?" asked the  
ponytailed boy as his smirk returned once again.  
  
"It would seem that is true," said Kuno.  
  
"I wouldn't worry about me, I've got little interest in this  
group. I've got my own agenda."  
  
Kuno nodded at this. "Once again, I see that you wish to  
dissuade me from interfering."  
  
Ranma snorted at this. "Not really. Interfere all you want.  
Protect those girls if it makes you feel any better. Hibiki is my  
main problem so far, and he's much more dangerous than I am. He  
would think nothing of using those girls to get to me. I think he  
knows better though, I'm not the heroic type. I think anyway."  
  
"Hibiki would..." said Kuno as he turned his eyes towards the  
gates again.  
  
"He would tear you apart if you got in his way. Not that it  
would bother me much."  
  
"My skill..." started Kuno. A hand in his face cut his rant  
short though.  
  
"Your skill doesn't matter. Hibiki is immortal, and  
invincible by human standards. You would have to do much more  
than kill him to stop him. Beating him with a stick just isn't  
going to cut it. Even a sword would be of little use. He's quite  
relentless as you can probably see."  
  
Kuno growled, but hung his head. "I shall not fail."  
  
"Perhaps, perhaps not," said Ranma as he shrugged. "Do as you  
will, but Hibiki is more than you can handle as you are now.  
Don't say I didn't warn you."  
  
"How does one defeat such a monster?" growled Kuno.  
  
"Salt," replied Ranma as he shrugged again. "It's only a  
temporary solution, as you just saw. In a day or two, he'd just  
come back and he'd be quite irate with whoever put him in the  
ground."  
  
"You can slay this demon?" said Kuno as he gave Ranma a  
careful looking frown.  
  
"Perhaps one day," replied Ranma as he chuckled at this and  
started to walk away.  
  
Kuno said nothing and growled in frustration.  
  
"I wonder how he'll deal with a problem he can't beat into  
submission?" said Ranma to himself as he started towards the  
gates. He smirked at the wall that surrounded the grounds and  
paused just in front of the gate for a moment. "To say nothing of  
what Nabiki Tendo might have learned from that conversation. I  
wonder if she might tell me?"  
  
There was a small growling noise from the other side of the  
wall and Nabiki stepped out. She was wearing a jacket and had her  
arms crossed over her chest from the chill in the air. "Stuff  
it."  
  
"Hmmm. I suppose I should walk you home. I'm sure the parents  
would appreciate that. Possibly enough to schedule a wedding in  
the morning."  
  
"I can get home on my own fine," snorted the girl irritably.  
  
"Yes. However, it is a rather long walk. I'm sure we can talk  
on the way."  
  
The girl glanced down at the ground and started walking.  
  
"Did you learn anything useful?"  
  
"Only that you know more than you're letting on. Sending Kuno  
after that thing wasn't a good idea either."  
  
"Sending him?" said Ranma with a false surprise in his voice.  
  
"You know damn well how that idiot is going to react to what  
you told him!" snapped Nabiki.  
  
"Actually, I think you're the one who's reading him wrong  
here," replied Ranma. "We'll see though."  
  
"I've known Kuno for years! There's no way I'm gonna let you  
send him to die!" said the girl angrily.  
  
"Die?" replied the ponytailed boy with another fake looking  
pause for thought. "Perhaps. I'd like to think better of Hibiki  
than that."  
  
"You're going to get him killed," snarled Nabiki. "I won't  
allow that."  
  
"Well, I hope you can dissuade him if that is the case. I'd  
rather think of it as a learning experience for him."  
  
"You've had this planned for some time, haven't you?" gasped  
Nabiki.  
  
"You really think so? I've just been winging it actually,"  
replied the boy as he smiled at her.  
  
Nabiki glared at him. She could tell that was a flat out lie.  
Ranma was not the type of person who did anything without some  
sort of plan. He was also very good at turning conversations away  
from things he didn't want to talk about, and hiding just how  
well he had things planned through. He seemed to know far too  
much at times, and at other times he seemed far too ignorant.  
  
"This is some sort of game for you, isn't it?" she said  
hatefully.  
  
"Game? Why Nabiki Tendo, I do believe you're missing the  
point entirely," replied the boy as he turned and grinned at her.  
It wasn't his usual smile, he looked quite evil at that moment.  
  
"Point?" she gasped as she stepped back.  
  
"Of course, perhaps one day you'll understand."  
  
"Why don't you just tell me now then?" she said as she  
reasserted herself aggressively.  
  
"That wouldn't be near as much fun of course," he replied  
cryptically. "You're still missing a few pieces of the puzzle.  
Everything will fall into place soon enough."  
  
"What do I have to do with any of this?" she said as she  
forced herself to calm down.  
  
"Nothing," he replied with a small shrug.  
  
"Then why are you hanging around?" she countered.  
  
"Where else would I go?" he responded calmly.  
  
"That's what's bothering me," was the immediate response.  
  
"Well, as much as it irritates me, I'm not as independent as  
I'd like."  
  
Nabiki snorted and turned her head away from him. He was  
pushing just the right buttons and she knew it. That probably  
bothered her more than anything else, the boy was turning the  
conversation exactly the way he wanted it to go. "You're using  
us."  
  
"Of course not," replied the boy with a small shrug. "Having  
me around might be more useful than you imagine."  
  
"I doubt that. I won't be manipulated so easily."  
  
"All the more interesting," he replied as he turned the  
corner.  
  
Nabiki gasped. She was looking at the street her home was on.  
The corner they had just turned was at least ten blocks from her  
home. She quickly turned around and saw the street behind her was  
not the one they had just walked down.  
  
"Ah look. We're home already. I suppose we'll have to  
continue this discussion later." Ranma calmly walked towards the  
home and left her standing there. She was shaking visibly, from  
the cold mostly, but a little shock was also apparent.  
  
"Damn," she muttered under her breath as she realized that he  
was waiting for her at the gate. She jogged forward and shoved  
him aside as he tried to open the gate for her. "I'm not  
helpless."  
  
"No, that's what makes you interesting," he muttered under  
his breath as he walked in behind her. If she heard him, she  
didn't let on.  
  
++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Morning came at the dojo with its usual flair. It had been a  
week since Ranma's encounter with the Hibiki boy, and it seemed  
as if his rival had vanished completely. No one had heard  
anything about Ryoga Hibiki since he walked away from the school  
a week before.  
  
"Boy! Pay attention!" snapped Genma as he kicked at his son.  
  
"Huh?" muttered Ranma as he shifted out of the way clumsily.  
  
Genma sailed over his head and landed in the koi pond with a  
mighty splash.  
  
Ranma leaned against his staff and watched the panda emerge  
from the water. "Pay attention to what?"  
  
Genma growled animalistically as he readied himself for  
another attack despite his new form. Unfortunately, Kasumi's call  
stopped the battle before hostilities could rise any further.  
  
"Ranma! Mr. Saotome! Breakfast!"  
  
Ranma vanished and appeared at the table in his usual  
fashion. Genma's approach was a bit slower, but still well beyond  
the speed of any normal human. The father and son pair was in  
place before anyone else, and Soun and Akane were no more than  
three feet away from the table when the call had been made.  
  
"Oh my!" commented Kasumi nervously as she realized that both  
of them had a plate of food, and she hadn't yet set down the meal  
on the table.  
  
Ranma paused as he ate and frowned slightly. "Hmmm? You're  
not hungry Nabiki?"  
  
The girl in question was already walking out the door with  
her school bag on her shoulder. She frowned at him and looked at  
her family. "Not today. I've got some things to do before class  
starts."  
  
"You really should eat breakfast Nabiki," said Kasumi with a  
slight frown forming on her face. It was almost a scolding, but  
not quite.  
  
"I can afford to miss one meal," replied the girl with a  
small shrug. "Don't worry so much."  
  
"Well, I suppose if it's just this once," muttered her elder  
sister uncomfortably.  
  
"Well, you should be careful. I've got a feeling something  
interesting might happen today," said Ranma as he turned back  
towards his food. Genma's chopsticks were stuck in some sort of  
field that surrounded his plate. The older man could not pull  
them away and tugged almost violently on them. Ranma calmly took  
the morsel of food the man had snagged and put it into his mouth.  
The panda growled slightly at this, but quickly returned to his  
own plate after his chopsticks were freed.  
  
None of the Tendo family seemed to think much of it and the  
event was largely ignored. Akane looked slightly annoyed by it,  
but didn't voice it.  
  
Ranma shrugged and went back to his meal as the girl left.  
  
Nabiki frowned at Ranma's warning as she walked out the door.  
Every day with the boy had been 'interesting' in some way or  
another. For the boy to voice something like that meant that  
she'd have to be extra careful.  
  
Ranma ate somewhat slowly and deliberately as he mulled over  
something. He had much better manners than his father did, but he  
still ate rather quickly. It could have just been that sitting  
next to his father made his speed seem normal as well. He did  
seem slower than normal though and it was making even Genma  
somewhat edgy at the table.  
  
"What's with you?" grumbled Akane.  
  
"It's nothing, just thinking over some problems. Nothing  
serious anyway."  
  
The girl frowned even deeper. "If you don't want to say, just  
say so."  
  
"Okay. I don't want to say," replied Ranma.  
  
Akane growled at this and clenched her chopsticks a little  
tighter than she should have. The wood held though and they  
didn't break.  
  
"You certainly are difficult to please," commented the boy as  
he glanced at her for a moment.  
  
With a heavy sigh, Akane decided to not let it bother her,  
and promptly got even angrier. "You jerk."  
  
"Only when it suits my needs. Otherwise I'm simply annoying."  
  
Akane stood up and put her chopsticks over her bowl. "I'm  
leaving."  
  
Ranma merely nodded and continued to eat. Both of the adults  
looked at him for a moment.  
  
"I've got a stop to make before school today. I'm afraid I'll  
be late no matter what."  
  
They both blinked at this and neither one thought or cared  
enough to ask. The meal went on as Akane walked out the door.  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Meanwhile, in a forest just outside Nerima...  
  
Jiro sat with Sato on a rock overlooking a beautiful valley.  
It was tiny and little more than a dip between two large hills in  
the forest. The view was quite stunning, and they were alone.  
Both of them were wearing hiking gear and seemed to be merely  
taking in the scenery.  
  
"Jiro! It's beautiful!"  
  
"Yeah. I thought you might like to see it," said the man as  
he grinned at her.  
  
"Wow. I never thought I'd see anything like this so close to  
Tokyo," said the girl as she brushed her ponytail back over her  
shoulder again. "It's amazing!"  
  
"Yeah, and quiet. There's no one out here but us," said the  
boy as he put his arm around her shoulder. She leaned her head  
against his shoulder and sighed in contentment.  
  
"I'm glad you decided to share this..."  
  
"Yeah. It's a great spot..." His voice trailed off as he  
cocked his head. "What's that noise?"  
  
"Huh? What noise...?" Sato paused. It was very quiet, but  
quickly growing louder. It was a most unusual sound that she  
couldn't quite place.  
  
"It's coming from behind..." started Jiro. It was a high  
pitched thumping sound, almost like a whine, but rhythmic. They  
both turned and looked towards the tree line and noticed  
something moving in the trees.  
  
"Get down!" screamed Jiro as he jumped over Sato and shoved  
her to the ground. A long yellow disk shot out of the tree line  
just over them and screamed across the air just above them.  
  
Sato put her head up and stared at it as it continued  
forward. "What the hell was that?"  
  
A painful sounding groan sounded from the forest behind them  
and the pair looked on in silent horror as the trees behind them  
began to topple like dominoes. The entire forest resounded with  
the crackling boom of trees hitting the ground all around them.  
Remarkably, the pair was unscathed.  
  
"Holy shit!" cried Jiro as he started to climb to his knees  
after things settled down.  
  
Both of them froze though when a figure walked out of the  
mess and looked down at them.  
  
"Who the..." muttered Jiro dumbly.  
  
"No! It's coming back!" cried Sato as she pointed behind her.  
Jiro threw himself on top of her and pinned her to the ground as  
the whirring sound started again. This time he got a good look at  
it though as it screamed towards them. It was ten feet in  
diameter and spinning at an amazing rate of speed.  
  
The figure standing over them merely watched calmly as it  
bore down on him.  
  
"Look out that thing is...!" started Jiro.  
  
The boy merely reached up his hand and caught the spinning  
disk in his hand. It seemed to fly into a thousand pieces that  
spun off into the forest hacking limbs and small trees behind  
him. Deep gashes could be seen in some of the tree trunks as the  
boy held on to what he caught. He shook it one time and calmly  
tied it around his forehead.  
  
"Forgive me. I thought I was alone in these woods. Could you  
tell me where Furinkan High School is?"  
  
"Huh?" was the stereo reply.  
  
++++++++++++++++  
  
Ranma Saotome smirked as he looked at the sign in front of  
Dr. Tofu's clinic. He was standing outside simply looking at it  
for a moment without so much as a hint of reason.  
  
The boy spoke while he was looking up at the sign. "Good  
morning doctor."  
  
Tofu paused, he was walking down the sidewalk with a bag  
under his arm of groceries. The boy turned to face him and seemed  
to look him over without moving from where he was standing.  
  
"Good morning," said the doctor politely. Ranma noticed the  
man tense up though and arched his eyebrow slightly.  
  
"Do I make you nervous Doctor?" asked the boy calmly.  
  
The man flushed slightly at his own reaction. "Not really,  
you just surprised me."  
  
"Yes, practicing martial arts I see. Anything can be made  
into a training exercise if properly executed. Your stealth  
techniques are quite impressive."  
  
"I'm surprised you noticed me," admitted the man.  
  
"I have other ways of sensing things, but that's not why I'm  
here," said the boy with a small shrug.  
  
"Ahem. Then why are you here, if I might ask?" said the older  
man as he adjusted his glasses.  
  
"Why don't we go inside, and have a cup of tea while we  
discuss things?" said the boy cheerfully. "I'm certain you'll  
find it most interesting."  
  
"Oh! How rude of me!" exclaimed the man as he started to walk  
towards the door. "Please come in."  
  
Ranma merely nodded and followed silently.  
  
+++++++++++++++++++  
  
Tofu set a cup of tea in front of Ranma and made one for  
himself as they sat at a small kitchen table in the back of the  
office. "I should have patients arriving soon, but we have a  
little time."  
  
Ranma nodded and accepted the cup. He peered into it for a  
moment before taking a sip. "Ah. The people of this area do know  
how to make a good cup."  
  
"Thank you," said the man as he nodded.  
  
"Moxibustion and acupuncture, two arts that are considered  
mystical in some circles."  
  
"Modern medicine doesn't take a lot into account, it's true.  
I am also a licensed chiropractor," said the man as he shrugged.  
  
"Still, you have a unique practice here. Most of the clinics  
I've seen are run by half witted hacks and misunderstanding  
fools. You were quite fortunate to have such a good teacher."  
  
Tofu nodded. "Yes. Although I hate to brag, I did have  
several very good instructors. Even though I am largely self  
taught."  
  
"It's the only real way to learn," said Ranma with a small  
shrug. "Something I understand better than most would."  
  
The man nodded. "So, that's it is it?"  
  
"Our arts are not as dissimilar as you might imagine Tofu.  
You focus on manipulating the spirit through the body, adjusting  
the flow of energy through the joints and pressure points. Quite  
useful I imagine. I merely find ways to manipulate the same  
energies without the use of physical stimulation."  
  
"Very interesting," said the man as he frowned slightly. It  
was more a contemplative gesture than anything else. "I wouldn't  
have thought it possible actually. Manipulating energy is  
difficult enough as it is."  
  
"Only if you don't know how. It's all a matter of focus and  
training. Plus, there are a few more far fetched extremes  
involved. I won't go into that now."  
  
"Perhaps later?" said the man as he pushed his glasses up his  
nose again.  
  
"That's an interesting gesture. I can see that you don't like  
the way it sounds much."  
  
"I'm eager to understand more," said the man as he forced his  
hand down onto the table to stop the nervous movement.  
  
"I'm certain you are. Perhaps we can exchange information  
sometime. I'm sure there's a problem or two you're eager to see  
vanish if at all possible."  
  
Tofu narrowed his eyes at this. "I'm listening."  
  
"That's a long involved discussion for a later time. I'm  
fairly certain that Kasumi Tendo will remain unattached for some  
time."  
  
The man gasped at this. "You...know about that?"  
  
"That you're highly allergic to her? Yes I do."  
  
"Allergic?" muttered the man dumbly.  
  
"You didn't know?" said Ranma as he arched his eyebrow at the  
man and smiled. "How interesting. I assumed if anyone could spot  
an allergic reaction, it would be you."  
  
Tofu had a somewhat sullen look on his face as he stared at  
the table.  
  
"In any case, there are more pressing matters I've come to  
discuss."  
  
"Huh?" said the man as he looked up at the boy in confusion.  
  
"I've encountered a rather nasty tempered Wu, he's probably  
roaming around the area near here. This one is quite dangerous,  
but he's also somewhat useful. The medical benefits of such a  
technique alone are enough to pique your interests I'm sure.  
However, controlling him is somewhat problematic."  
  
"A...Wu?" muttered Tofu dumbly.  
  
"It's a human without a soul. A zombie of sorts actually.  
Salt will contain him for a time, but his healing abilities make  
it a less than permanent solution. I need a way to keep him in  
check if need be."  
  
"You were hoping I would help you out with it?" said the man  
suspiciously.  
  
"Not in so many words. I'm aware of how much you trust me.  
However, this is something I'd rather not deal with alone if I  
don't have too. You see, he's immortal, and can heal himself  
quite easily from any injury. That includes decapitation or the  
loss of limb."  
  
"That's a little hard to believe," said Tofu as he frowned at  
the boy. "You're right about one thing. I don't trust you, you've  
got a bad aura."  
  
"A byproduct of my art, I assure you. However, I'm also aware  
that it will take more than my word to convince you of this. I'm  
not about to go off and say I'm completely trustworthy either.  
However, the presence of something this dangerous should allow  
for a bit more leeway between us."  
  
"An alliance of sorts?" asked the man as he frowned at the  
boy.  
  
"You could say that. I've got my own agenda, and it shouldn't  
really pose a problem for you. I doubt if we'll find ourselves at  
odds."  
  
Tofu nodded and sipped at his tea calmly. "I see."  
  
"I'd rather think of it as a business arrangement. I can  
supply you with knowledge and items that you would find  
difficulty finding on your own."  
  
"I've got good sources for what I need."  
  
"Mine are better, and more direct," said Ranma.  
  
"You've got my attention, but not much else," said Tofu as he  
leaned forward.  
  
"I didn't expect more," replied Ranma with a small shrug. "In  
any case, I can help you with your unique problem."  
  
"What?" muttered Tofu quietly.  
  
"It will take a bit of time, but I think it can work out well  
for us. We can both get what we want, and you can leave with your  
conscience intact when it's all over."  
  
"That's the part I have trouble believing," replied Tofu.  
  
"Really? That's fixed easily enough." Ranma stood up and  
picked up his staff. "Be at Furinkan High when the final bell  
rings this in exactly one week. Any unpleasant feelings about  
this deal will likely be dealt with then."  
  
"What do you mean?" said Tofu as he frowned at the boy.  
  
"You'll see. Be sure to bring a shaker of salt. I'll put all  
your doubts to rest then."  
  
+++++++++++++++++++  
  
Ranma walked into the gates of Furinkan casually. His face  
was stern and he moved quickly despite his relaxed posture.  
"Soon, things will begin to move more quickly. I need to be  
ready." He glanced up at the sky and chuckled at the dark clouds  
that began to form over his head. "Still, there's time enough to  
prepare the players in my little game. It's time I made the first  
move, the others should arrive soon enough."  
  
++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Ranma Saotome stood outside his classroom with a pair of  
buckets in his hands. He didn't seem very upset with the  
punishment and took it rather well.  
  
"Hmmm. I'm surprised the teacher had the guts to do this to  
me with everything that's gone on for the past few days or so."  
  
He was calm as usual as he stood there patiently waiting to  
be let back into class again. It had been a relatively quiet day  
so far, but it was just starting and he knew it.  
  
++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Ryoga Hibiki stood on a mountainside staring at the scenery  
before him. The valley below him was dark and foreboding. Dead  
trees could be seen spotting the harsh rocky ground below him.  
"Where am I?" he muttered to himself with a frown forming on his  
face. He had little fear of course, his condition made him  
impossible to kill really. Anything he met would find a hard  
battle, and it would end with his escape eventually, or him  
wearing whatever sort of monster he found down. With a casual  
shrug he walked forward into the valley. "Can't be any worse than  
I am."  
  
After about an hour of walking he found himself standing in  
front of an unusual looking rock formation. It was two stone  
pillars with another slab of stone resting on top, forming a sort  
of gateway from the look of it. It was a gateway to nothing  
though as there was no wall or any other object blocking the  
sides. It was just sitting in the middle of nowhere.  
  
"Who would put something like this here?" he muttered as he  
looked it up and down.  
  
"Someone who wishes to keep something hidden I'd imagine.  
Doorways like this are rare indeed," said an unfamiliar voice. It  
was old and weak, like that of an old man on his final legs of  
life.  
  
Ryoga slowly turned to face the old man and stared at him.  
"What do you know about this thing?"  
  
The man looked to be in his eighties, he leaned over a  
walking stick and had a hooded cape hiding his body from view. "A  
great deal my boy. I suggest you leave, it's dangerous to be  
here."  
  
Ryoga snorted at this. "There isn't anywhere I can go that's  
dangerous to me."  
  
"My, aren't you full of confidence?" asked the man with an  
amused sounding tone in his voice. "Still, such magic is best  
left untouched. It is powerful, difficult to control, and taxing  
on the soul."  
  
Ryoga merely turned to look at the stones once again. "What  
does it do?"  
  
The old man was grinning now, Ryoga could almost hear it in  
his tone. "Why, it's a gateway of course. A gateway to a place  
where men cannot tread."  
  
Ryoga nodded at this. "What's there then?"  
  
The old man merely turned away and started to hobble off.  
"That is an interesting question indeed Hibiki."  
  
Ryoga was too engrossed in watching the stones to listen, or  
notice the golden eyes of the figure as he glanced back at him  
from the shadows of his hood. "A very interesting question  
indeed."  
  
Ryoga stepped towards the stones. "I guess I'll have to  
figure it out myself. If it will help me defeat Ranma, I  
shouldn't ignore it."  
  
The old man paused. "You wish to defeat someone?"  
  
"Yes," said Ryoga as he glared at the doorway.  
  
"Then you have come to a very good place indeed boy."  
  
A dusty wind blew and obscured the old man from view. Ryoga  
narrowed his eyes as the dust finally settled and he found  
himself alone. "I get the feeling, I was supposed to find this  
place."  
  
He stared forward at the open space between the two pillar  
stones and reached forward with his hand. Words began to form in  
his head, words he could not understand, and doubted if anyone  
living could. "Wha?"  
  
Out of the whispered voices a single more powerful voice  
called out to him. "You seek power?"  
  
"I want to destroy Ranma Saotome," he replied simply.  
  
"You have no soul to give...but to destroy Ranma Saotome?"  
The voice almost sounded interested. "That, we shall see about."  
  
"Huh?" muttered Ryoga as he pulled his hand away from the  
opening.  
  
"Step through young warrior, and discover the power you so  
desire," offered the voice darkly. It was strong and firm, yet  
somehow inviting in an uncomfortable way.  
  
"You can help me defeat Ranma?"  
  
"You will become much stronger," said the voice cryptically.  
"As for destroying Ranma Saotome. That is something even I cannot  
promise. He is strong, and dangerous, more so than I think you  
realize. Come, perhaps you can be of some use to me in ridding  
ourselves of such a bothersome thorn in both of our sides."  
  
Ryoga closed his eyes to think about it for a mere moment.  
  
"All right."  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
"I sense a disturbance in the force," said Ranma as he paused  
in the middle of the street suddenly.  
  
Akane and Nabiki both looked back at him. He was standing in  
front of Tofu's office and simply stared at it.  
  
"What are you looking at?" snapped Akane angrily.  
  
"Something dark and strong has been awakened," said Ranma  
calmly. He pointed with his staff. "That way."  
  
"What?" said Nabiki dumbly.  
  
"What should we do about it?" snorted the younger girl  
irritably.  
  
"At the moment? Nothing. We'll be seeing it soon enough I  
think. It's best to use time like this to relax and enjoy  
ourselves. The time to fight will come soon enough."  
  
Akane blinked at this, and Nabiki found herself slightly  
unnerved.  
  
"Why does it sound like we'll be involved with this to me?"  
asked Nabiki as she frowned at him.  
  
Ranma turned to look at her with a rather blank expression.  
"Oh, I wouldn't worry too much. That comes later I think."  
  
"What's that supposed to mean?" grumbled Akane as she crossed  
her arms over her chest.  
  
"Mean? Do you look for meaning in everything in life?"  
responded the boy as he chuckled a little. "Some things just  
happen."  
  
"Yeah. Like you," grumbled Nabiki as she frowned at him.  
  
"Now you're getting it," said the ponytailed boy a little too  
cheerfully. "Sometimes the best way to deal with this sort of  
thing is to just ignore it for a while."  
  
"In other words, you hope this thing you claim to feel will  
just leave us alone, and that you don't have to bother with it,"  
said Nabiki flatly.  
  
"Oh. I suppose that is what I mean then," replied Ranma as he  
shrugged his shoulders and started walking.  
  
"In any case, we've probably got a few days to rest a bit  
before anything of real interest happens," replied the ponytailed  
boy as he shrugged again. "There's no point in worrying about it  
anyway."  
  
Akane found herself frustrated, but couldn't quite find the  
words to voice it. She merely snorted and started walking again.  
Nabiki followed immediately after her and didn't pay any more  
attention to her fiancee.  
  
Ranma didn't seem to care much and simply looked at the  
office in front of him. "I wonder..." He didn't move for about a  
minute and focused his attention on the doors. "Ah well. In time,  
that too will be answered."  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Tofu stood in his office alone. His thoughts filled his mind  
as he looked at the back wall of the practice and said nothing.  
"It's so strong even I can feel it. Not that far away, but still  
contained somehow. This isn't good." He paused when he realized  
that something was off outside the clinic. "Wha?"  
  
He made it to the doorway just in time to see Ranma Saotome  
turning away. The boy walked slowly and methodically, tapping his  
cane on the pavement with each step. Ranma didn't look back at  
him, but had a serious expression on his face as he moved towards  
the Tendo home. "Something is up?" muttered Tofu. "Well,  
something has definitely gotten his attention anyway. I wonder if  
this is related to that Wu he was talking about?"  
  
Tofu had read up a bit on Wu over the course of the past few  
days. He'd had to go into the restricted section of the Tokyo  
library to even find a single reference. The only thing he found  
was a rather vague paragraph in an old Chinese Mythology book.  
Needless to say, although he'd never admit it, he was growing  
very interested in what he might see in the coming week.  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Three days later...  
  
A shadowy figure strolled through the trees of a dark and  
thick forest in the wilds of Japan. If you could consider three  
miles outside the city 'the wilds'. His pace was methodical and  
he had little fatigue in his step, despite many days of hard  
training and walking. "At last. The time has come Saotome. I  
shall face you and destroy you for certain this time!"  
  
Ryoga Hibiki laughed as he turned around one of the trees and  
found himself looking at a street. "Is this Tokyo?" It was a back  
road, but it did lead into the city. He cracked his knuckles as  
he started down the street, taking care to remain on the  
pavement. Roads usually lead him somewhere, so it was a good idea  
to follow it until he could get his bearings straight.  
  
Several hours later he found himself standing in a small poor  
looking neighborhood. There were children running around with no  
shoes and second hand clothes, and a few students hanging around  
the neighborhood in uniform despite the late hour. School had  
ended more than four hours before.  
  
He found himself standing in front of a local convenience  
store and decided to stop and see if he could figure out where he  
was exactly. It was uncomfortably warm outside, but heat didn't  
bother him much. He was basically out of sweat from his travels  
anyway, and he was feeling a little dry. It wasn't like he could  
dehydrate or anything though.  
  
A soda machine hummed quietly next to him and he glanced at  
it. With a small shrug, he decided that a small comfort like a  
drink was within his budget. He reached into his pocket and dug  
out a few coins. It was basically all he had left.  
  
With a simple shove of his hand, he pushed the button for a  
cola and waited for it to clank down to his waiting hand. He  
popped the top and drank deeply, enjoying the cool sensation for  
a moment.  
  
When he was through he turned and started walking again.  
There was nothing of any real interest to see in the area. He  
couldn't make out any landmarks, and the neighborhood looked  
unfamiliar too him. Not that many did look all that familiar, in  
fact, they all looked pretty much the same as far as he was  
concerned.  
  
Being reminded of his curse enraged him once again. "Damn.  
That stupid Saotome! I'll make him suffer for this!" He started  
to run deeper into the streets, his yearning for revenge driving  
him harder and harder to find his enemy.  
  
About a half-hour of running later, Ryoga Hibiki stopped cold  
in his tracks. His eyes went wide and he simply stood in the  
middle of the road, not caring about the cars honking angrily at  
him as he blocked traffic.  
  
Slowly he began to pat down his clothes, but his pace  
quickened to an almost frantic searching. "Where?"  
  
The boy fell to his knees as he clutched his head in agonized  
terror. "Oh shit! It's gone!"  
  
A group began to form on the sidewalk muttering in pity and  
just plain disgust.  
  
"Shameful."  
  
"Sounds like he lost something important!"  
  
"Still, making such a scene!"  
  
"It'll probably still be where ever he left it anyway. This  
isn't America you know."  
  
Ryoga didn't hear any of this. His heart raced as he spun  
around and around in search of something he couldn't bear to  
lose. The soda machine was nowhere in sight, and he was probably  
more than a mile away from it. He didn't even have a clue about  
where he was when it happened.  
  
Ryoga Hibiki had just spent his soul on a can of soda,  
literally.  
  
  
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUG  
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!"  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
TBC... 


	5. Mazoku 5

Ranma: Mazoku Factor  
  
Part 5  
  
The plan.  
  
++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Ranma Saotome stood silently on the roof of the Tendo home.  
He had a frown on his face as he stared out over the rooftops of  
Nerima. "Something isn't right here. I feel a force at work here,  
that could be a problem, but not a big one."  
  
His grin slowly returned to his face. A bright aura formed  
around his body, but it didn't burn like a fire, it writhed and  
took shape in the form of living things, creatures that seemed  
locked into his very spirit. "No problem at all really."  
  
He jumped off the roof and down into the street, easily  
clearing the wall that surrounded the home. Landing lightly with  
his staff appearing in his hand he twirled it around his palm as  
he started to stroll forward. His cape flapped dramatically as he  
walked into the rising moon. "I'm feeling a bit hungry, time to  
hunt down a meal."  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Nabiki Tendo woke in the dead of night. Absolute terror  
gripped her heart as she sat up and saw a bright light just  
outside her window. A shiver went down her spine as she staggered  
out of bed and stepped back away from the window. The light died  
down and the sight that followed didn't comfort her in the  
slightest. Ranma was standing on the roof glowing with power,  
there seemed to be things trapped inside his aura struggling to  
free themselves. He had a dark grin forming on his face as he  
made an impossible jump and landed on the street.  
  
Nabiki Tendo screamed in absolute terror and slumped down  
against her door.  
  
+++++++++++++++++++  
  
She found herself shaking violently as she blinked her eyes  
open and looked up to see her family and Genma standing around  
her with worried looking frowns on their faces.  
  
"Are you all right? Did that pervert try something?" growled  
Akane hatefully.  
  
"Wha?" she muttered as she shielded her eyes from the ceiling  
light in the room. "Ranma? Ranma!" Her voice went from confusion  
to anger in an instant. A quick glance at the clock told her that  
it couldn't have been very long ago.  
  
"What has the boy done?!" muttered Genma in horror.  
  
"That pervert!" snapped Akane as she cracked her knuckles.  
She quickly grabbed her sister in a rough hug. "He didn't get too  
far did he? Do I have to kill him?"  
  
Nabiki blinked at this and stood up. "I'm going." She  
strolled between the two older men and Kasumi.  
  
"Oh my!" muttered the eldest girl in shock. "Nabiki! Where  
are you going? It's too late to be..."  
  
"I'm going to find out exactly what that man has invited into  
our house," she snapped angrily as she pointed at her father.  
  
"Wha?" muttered the man in confusion.  
  
Akane didn't waste a moment. "I'm going with you!"  
  
Nabiki ignored this and continued to walk towards the door.  
  
"Akane!" cried Soun.  
  
Genma grabbed the man by his arm and shook his head. "Let the  
boy take care of it Tendo. It's probably best if they find out  
this way anyway."  
  
"Wha?" muttered the utterly confused and teary eyed Soun  
Tendo.  
  
"Come on Tendo. We've got a few things to discuss about my  
son."  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Ranma Saotome walked down the middle of the street as if it  
was noon on a bright sunny day. He looked almost cheerful as he  
strolled through the darkness and garbage of one of Japan's  
slums. Despite the manner in which he moved, he seemed to almost  
slither through the shadows as he moved. The darkness around him  
seemingly inconsequential to him, almost comforting really.  
  
"Now... Where are you?" he muttered under his breath as a few  
bums scurried to the other side of the street opposite him. They  
almost stumbled over one another as they instinctively moved away  
from his path. It wasn't his bearing that was frightening to him,  
but the fact that an aura of purple energy seemed to radiate from  
his body. It seemed almost crimson, but with enough blue tint to  
it to create a purple haze on the walls and ground around him.  
  
The boy paused as he glanced over his shoulder for a moment.  
"Hmmm. Interesting." He turned and walked calmly into the  
entrance of a maze of alleyways and dark corners that made up the  
back street of the area he was in.  
  
After several moments of walking through the almost pitch  
blackness he turned to glance behind him once again. "I think  
I've led them enough. It shouldn't be too hard for them to find  
their way from here." He chuckled and the aura of power stopped  
shining around him. "I'm getting close anyway." He turned a  
corner and walked into a large open area behind several small  
buildings. It was a small dirty looking courtyard of sorts. Piles  
of garbage lined the walls and another large heap of junk made up  
the center. A few papers fluttered around the ground because of a  
small breeze as Ranma walked towards the junk heap in the center.  
  
The boy froze in mid step and quickly turned his head towards  
a tiny shifting sound in the garbage. "Huh?"  
  
A loud 'meow' answered his unasked question as a rather  
ragged looking tom stumbled out of one of the garbage piles along  
the wall. It had a ragged black coat and shuffled its feet as it  
started to slink towards the shadows away from the stranger.  
  
Ranma narrowed his eyes at the creature and took a single  
step back. "How stupid do you think I am?" He raised his staff  
and a crackling energy formed on the head.  
  
The cat turned its head to look at him and hissed angrily.  
  
The boy stepped back again and tilted the staff towards it.  
  
++++++++++++++++++  
  
Nabiki Tendo was not having what could be called a good time.  
It was the middle of the night, it was getting colder by the  
minute, and her little sister was stumbling about noisily as they  
tried to tail Ranma Saotome through one of the more unfriendly  
areas of Tokyo.  
  
Fortunately, Ranma wasn't leaving much of anyone in his wake  
as he calmly strolled through the streets. He didn't seem  
concerned at all that someone might be following him. The fact  
that he was glowing didn't hurt matters either, Nabiki and Akane  
both were able to keep an eye on him from a fair distance away.  
  
"What's he doing? He's just walking around like that?"  
muttered Akane.  
  
Nabiki frowned at her sister and narrowed her eyes at the boy  
in front of them. "It's different from what I saw though. There  
was something inside his aura, a lot of somethings. I can't  
describe it."  
  
"Maybe it was just a trick of the light?" said Akane  
nervously.  
  
"No," replied the elder girl firmly.  
  
"He doesn't seem to be doing anything besides scaring anyone  
he comes across," pointed out Akane as she glanced towards the  
boy in front of them.  
  
"He's turning off into that alley," said Nabiki as she nodded  
towards where the boy was heading.  
  
"Seems odd that no one has bothered us," said Akane as she  
frowned and looked at the area they were in. "This isn't the kind  
of place you go without a reason. He's looking for trouble if  
he's here."  
  
Nabiki arched her eyebrow slightly at this. It was  
surprisingly insightful for her sister to say something like  
that. "I realize that, and I don't think it's an accident."  
  
Akane blinked in surprise and turned towards her sister.  
  
"He's letting us follow him," said the elder girl as she and  
her younger sister stared into the entrance of the alley where  
Ranma had turned off. The light of his aura could still be seen  
as he turned a corner.  
  
"He's leading us somewhere?" muttered Akane. It didn't sound  
like she liked the idea much.  
  
Nabiki frowned and started jogging so that she didn't lose  
the boy. "No. He just doesn't care that we're here."  
  
"What?" said the younger girl as she chased after her sister.  
"Hey! Come back here!"  
  
++++++++++++++++++  
  
The small animal screamed in agony as the ball of power  
slammed into its side. It fell over and twitched on the ground  
for a moment as the energy coursed through its body.  
  
Ranma smirked as he watched this from the other side of the  
alley. It was an incredibly satisfying feeling to see the  
creature writhe in pain.  
  
"Now, are you quite finished? Or do I have to persuade you a  
bit more?"  
  
The thing on the ground growled angrily, a sound much to  
large to have come from the small animal. The cat screamed in  
anger as it exploded, showering the walls with gore. The pile of  
meat that remained behind began to swell and expand into a larger  
and larger organ like object that oozed various colored fluids  
from pores and cracks in its growing skin.  
  
"Oh, I can see you're quite pleasant after someone has woken  
you up," snorted Ranma distastefully.  
  
"What do you seek mortal?" snarled the thing as it finally  
stopped growing and uncurled itself. It was a massive oni, its  
horn rose high into the air, and a long mane of dark hair flowed  
down its back and from its loins.  
  
Ranma chuckled. "Seek? From you? I'm afraid you're missing  
the point of this my friend."  
  
"Eh?" grumbled the Oni irritably. "If you have disturbed me  
for no reason..."  
  
"You'll what?" snorted Ranma as he raised his staff and  
pointed the tip at the monster.  
  
"Heh. Where do you think your power comes from mortal? You  
cannot destroy me with magic."  
  
"My power? Oh, I see. You speak of your 'dark master' or  
whatever? My power does not come from your master demon. I've got  
my own path to walk, and you're just a stone in my way."  
  
The oni roared in anger. "What? You pathetic excuse for a  
mortal! I'll see that you'll spend eternity in hell! I'll deliver  
you personally!"  
  
"While that is an interesting invitation, I've got another  
question for you. Where is your master?"  
  
This gave the oni a moment to pause. "Eh?"  
  
"I think it would be most interesting if I had a word with  
him. Could you tell me where I might find him?"  
  
"What would you seek with him?" asked the Oni carefully.  
  
Ranma stared at the oni directly for the first time in the  
entire conversation. Twin orbs of gold bored into the demon as  
the boy smirked at him. "If you tell me, perhaps I'll set you  
free...for now."  
  
The oni's eyes went wide. "Golden eyes? It cannot be!" The  
muscles in his gigantic body rippled suddenly as he tensed and  
backed quickly away. "You're the one they call..."  
  
"Ranma Saotome is enough," replied the boy with a smirk.  
  
The oni roared in rage as his hair puffed out suddenly. His  
teeth were bared and his claws extended as he seemed to almost  
double in size.  
  
"Oh, very nice. I'm most impressed," said Ranma calmly.  
  
"You'll die!" screamed the oni angrily.  
  
"I think not, I've got a few questions, and I want answers,"  
replied Ranma simply.  
  
"The only thing you've found here is death, not answers,"  
snarled the oni.  
  
"We'll see," said the boy calmly as he raised his staff in  
the air. His aura burned brightly for a moment and a ball of  
power formed on the top of the gnarled wooden stick. "Now. Where  
is your master?"  
  
"I'll take you to see him personally, in the underworld!" The  
monster jumped forward with his claws extended.  
  
"A show of force would seem to be in order," replied Ranma  
calmly. The energy building up on his staff shot forward in  
tendrils of blue energy. They wrapped themselves around the  
demon's body and sent it flying against a nearby wall. The  
creature howled in pain as Ranma stepped forward and held his  
staff up, keeping the energy flowing without a hint of effort.  
"It would seem that your master has taken up a new interest. The  
boy Ryoga Hibiki has grown far stronger than he should have. The  
knowledge he'd need to do what he did to himself is beyond him.  
That means he had help from someone, someone who sees me as a  
threat to them, someone who either sent him to me as a  
distraction, or as an assassin. Either way it's rather  
irritating. Your master has been poking his nose around here  
lately, and that leaves me somewhat suspicious."  
  
The thing on the wall growled pathetically as it struggled  
against the dark power holding it down. "My master would not  
stoop so low as to show interest in such a pathetic creature."  
  
"You're right, he probably doesn't care that I'm about to  
kill you," replied the boy with a small shrug. "In any case, I'll  
return some of the energy I'm about to gain to him when I meet  
him. I'm sure he'll appreciate it."  
  
"What?" snarled the demon dumbly.  
  
"You're useless, hardwired to obey, you couldn't help me if  
you wanted too."  
  
The monster roared as he lashed out with his claws. "You're  
the weak one!" Ranma's energy field dispersed finally as the  
monster shook off the attack and charged forward towards the boy.  
  
"Really?" said the boy as he smirked as the hulking beast  
loomed over him. Without blinking an eye he vanished from in  
front of the thing and appeared behind it.  
  
The creature was caught by surprise by the maneuver and  
stalled for a moment to glance around.  
  
++++++++++++++++++  
  
Nabiki Tendo turned the corner and froze. Her sister jogged  
up behind her and took a moment to look around before she had the  
same reaction. They had arrived just in time to see Ranma avoid  
the demon as it escaped his spell.  
  
"What the?" said Nabiki quietly.  
  
"What the hell is that?" muttered Akane dumbly.  
  
"That's fairly obvious," replied Nabiki without looking away  
from the scene.  
  
++++++++++++++++++  
  
Ranma turned his head and glanced at them for a moment as  
they stood in the alleyway unprotected. The monster didn't seem  
to notice or care that they were there. "Well, I think it's time  
I finished this."  
  
"You'll die!" snarled the beast.  
  
"I doubt that," replied the boy as he vanished and reappeared  
in order to dodge a massive set of claws that swung for him. The  
oni stumbled forward for a moment and quickly turned in another  
strike that was dodged in the same manner.  
  
"Really, this is quite interesting, but I've got places to  
be," said Ranma calmly as he jumped into the air.  
  
The monster snarled and roared in anger as the staff slashed  
across his chest leaving a diagonal gashing wound that bled  
freely. "What?"  
  
"You're no match for me," said Ranma as he back flipped after  
his landing and came down near a pile of garbage.  
  
"You're strong for a mortal, but..."  
  
"Have you forgotten what your kind calls me already monster?"  
snorted Ranma as he shoved the top of his staff forward.  
  
The beast was blown back by a massive force of wind that  
slammed it into a wall, cracking the bricks where it had landed.  
"No!"  
  
"Pathetic," snorted the boy as his aura burned around him  
once again. It writhed around him as if there were dozens of  
indescribable creatures trapped within it.  
  
"This power..." muttered the oni in awe.  
  
"This is the power that will bring about a new age, an age  
where your kind has no place," replied the boy as he narrowed his  
eyes at the creature and smirked.  
  
"Never! No matter how strong you've become, you're still just  
a mortal human!"  
  
"Am I?" asked Ranma coldly. His aura shot forward, condensing  
into a ball on his staff. "We'll see about that."  
  
The oni screamed as the ball of light shot forward into its  
chest. Ranma merely chuckled as its death throes tore anything  
near it to shreds, the concrete was slashed, papers and plastic  
flew into the air as it lashed out violently as the energy seemed  
to eat away at its flesh. The creature's skeleton began to become  
visible through the burning flesh and the ponytailed boy took a  
step back.  
  
"You might want to find some cover, this is pretty messy," he  
said to the two girls standing in the alleyway.  
  
Akane dove over her sister and shoved her behind a large pile  
of bags.  
  
The oni screamed a final time and exploded in a ball of  
flames. Pieces of its body rained down on them from above. Ranma  
merely stood calmly and watched as the light dissipated into tiny  
white balls of power that floated around the alley like fireflies  
for a moment. He raised his staff and they all shot together into  
the wood, the runes on it glowed for a moment and he sighed.  
"That was more of a waste of time than anything else."  
  
Nabiki stood up and dusted herself off after shoving her  
sister off of her forcefully. Akane didn't speak, but stared at  
the boy cautiously as she picked herself up off the ground.  
  
"What was that?" asked Nabiki firmly.  
  
"An Oni, rather traditional looking one at that actually,"  
replied the boy with a small shrug.  
  
"You killed it," muttered Akane as she stared at the smoking  
crater where the thing had once been.  
  
"Hmmm. So I did," replied the boy cheerfully as he looked at  
the same spot. "Disgusting creatures."  
  
Nabiki glanced at the still smoking hole in the ground and  
turned towards the boy. "You're some sort of devil hunter? That  
thing acted like it knew of you."  
  
"I've been causing a bit of a mess in his little circle  
lately. Nothing to worry about," replied the boy calmly. "As for  
being some sort of devil hunter...I suppose that is true."  
  
"What's that thing in your aura?" blurted out Akane.  
  
"Hmmmm. Now that...is a secret," replied the boy as he  
glanced at her. "In any case, it's the reason I can destroy these  
things. The most a normal human can hope to do is destroy its  
body and return it to where it came from. Takes a bit of time for  
it to recover, but it can return eventually. Usually a few  
generations down the line or so. That's part of the reason that  
hunting them like this usually runs in family lines. Demons have  
a thing about holding grudges."  
  
"But, you can do more?" said Nabiki as she frowned at the  
hole in the ground.  
  
"More?" asked Ranma with a dumb looking expression on his  
face. "Hmmm. That is an interesting question indeed."  
  
"Are you going to answer it or not?" said the elder girl  
firmly. She didn't look very pleased at all.  
  
"Not tonight, it's too long of an explanation to get into, at  
least at this point. You probably wouldn't really understand it  
just yet anyway. Try not to think about it too much."  
  
"If he kills things like this..." muttered Akane as she  
stared at the smoking hole.  
  
"I think he has a reason for doing it beyond what he's  
telling us," muttered Nabiki under her breath.  
  
"Very good Tendo, the rest is up to you...for now," said the  
boy as he twirled his staff around his hand and started walking.  
"Come on, we should get some rest. Tomorrow is going to be a busy  
day."  
  
Nabiki narrowed her eyes at him. "I'm sure."  
  
Akane didn't look too sure about what to say or do. Ranma was  
an enigma like no other boy to her. "If he kills demons...he  
can't be all that bad...right?"  
  
Nabiki turned to glare at her for a moment. "I'm not sure."  
  
"Ladies, this is not the best of neighborhoods," said Ranma  
as he realized the pair wasn't following. "While I'm quite sure  
that you can indeed make it home on your own, your father will  
not be pleased with me if I return without you."  
  
"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?" snapped Akane  
indignantly.  
  
"Exactly what it sounds like," replied the boy with a small  
shrug. "I'm sure Kasumi would probably scold me as well. I'd like  
to avoid that if I can."  
  
Nabiki blinked at this. It was the sort of thing she'd never  
thought she'd hear him say. "Kasumi?"  
  
"Yes, she can be quite...forceful, when she wants to be."  
  
"Right," muttered the older girl half-heartedly.  
  
"They're probably still up, worried about us," said Akane a  
little guiltily.  
  
Ranma's cheerful grin returned. "That's the spirit. Come on  
now."  
  
Nabiki sighed and started after him with Akane just behind  
her. "Why do I get the feeling he wanted us to see that?"  
  
"Huh?" muttered her younger sister in confusion.  
  
"He's been leading us here since we caught up with him in the  
street. This is a part of what's going on somehow. He's up to  
something."  
  
"Well, if he's killing demons how bad could it be?" said  
Akane with a small shrug as she pushed ahead of her.  
  
Nabiki let her move on and followed just behind them. "That's  
what scares me."  
  
++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Ranma walked into the Tendo dojo and looked around. "What?  
You're all still up?"  
  
Soun rushed forward and grabbed the boy in a hug with tears  
in his eyes. "Oh Ranma! It makes me so proud!"  
  
"Eh?" muttered the boy uncomfortably as he struggled in the  
man's grip.  
  
"Isn't that dangerous though?" said Kasumi with a worried  
frown on her face as she watched the scene.  
  
"What did you tell them?" grumbled Ranma as he stared at his  
father over Soun's shoulder.  
  
Akane and Nabiki merely stood behind him with blank  
expressions on their faces.  
  
"I told him what he needed to know boy," replied Genma  
simply.  
  
"Which consists of what?" asked the boy as he turned his head  
towards the man that was crying as he hugged him.  
  
"Soon, the Tendo line will join with a legendary clan of  
demon hunters!" cried Soun proudly.  
  
Ranma snorted. "This is a good thing how?"  
  
"Couldn't agree more," said Nabiki. "Daddy, there is no  
way..."  
  
"Such an honor placed upon our family!" wailed Soun loudly.  
"It is in our clan's best interest to secure the union as soon as  
possible! The wedding will be held tomorrow!"  
  
Ranma frowned deeply as he turned to stare at Nabiki.  
  
"Oh my! There's so much to do then!" exclaimed Kasumi.  
  
"You are aware of just how dangerous this is to your family  
aren't you?" said Ranma flatly.  
  
Soun finally released him and held him at arm's length. "Why,  
you couldn't have chosen a better family! The Tendo School of  
Martial Arts would be the perfect compliment to a clan like  
yours."  
  
"I'm certain," replied the boy flatly. "However, a wedding  
tomorrow isn't such a good idea. I'll be rather busy, and I've  
got a few things that need to be taken care of. I'm certain  
Nabiki won't mind waiting a bit longer."  
  
The girl growled under her breath. "You have no idea how much  
I agree with him."  
  
"So, it seems that the plans should be postponed anyway,"  
said the boy with a small shrug. "We can work out when later." He  
turned towards the stairs and started towards his room leaving  
Soun standing with his arms reached out.  
  
"But..." stammered the man.  
  
"Good night daddy," said Nabiki coldly.  
  
Akane merely shrugged and looked at her father. "Whatever. I  
guess I should go to sleep too."  
  
"Oh my! I hadn't realized just how late it was!" cried Kasumi  
as she stood up to follow her sisters.  
  
"Long line Tendo?" said Genma as he stared at his old friend.  
  
"Well, I suppose we could count our time with the master..."  
  
"Being in service to a demon is not the same thing Tendo,"  
replied Genma calmly. "In any case, I agree that it would seem to  
benefit us both to secure this union."  
  
"So, when will the wedding be then?" asked Soun.  
  
"It is hard to say. The boy does not seem disagreeable. It  
might be best to let things be for a bit longer before we try  
anything. He seems to be planning something."  
  
"But what?" asked Soun.  
  
"I'm not certain, but he seems to be involving your daughter  
in his plan somehow. That's a good sign. The boy is usually not  
like this with anyone."  
  
"Unfriendly?" asked Soun as he looked towards the door where  
Ranma had vanished. He couldn't imagine the boy as anything but  
cheerful really.  
  
"Not really, but he's told your daughter more than I've ever  
seen him disclose. It would seem that he's warming up to her."  
  
"Excellent!" said Soun happily. "I'll get us some glasses! We  
should celebrate!" He held up a bottle of sake and smiled at  
Genma cheerfully.  
  
"That's a wonderful idea Tendo," said Genma with a huge grin  
on his face.  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Ranma stood behind his door and frowned for a moment as he  
leaned against it. "Hmmm. The old man is right. It's not like me  
to talk this much. I wonder what it is about this girl that I  
find so interesting?"  
  
The lights went out in the hallway and Ranma smiled to  
himself as he stepped away from his door. He could tell Genma and  
Soun were out on the porch drinking. A soft knock on his door  
gave him pause and he turned to open it.  
  
Nabiki was frowning at him with her arms crossed over her  
chest. "I know you're up to something. I don't know what it is  
yet, but I promise you I'll figure it out. Once I do, you can bet  
you and that fat leech of yours will be back on the street."  
  
The boy blinked as he stared at the girl for a moment. "Ah,  
yes. I remember now."  
  
"Remember what?" snorted Nabiki angrily. She kept her voice  
low and glanced back at their parent's backs. Neither of the men  
had noticed the conversation.  
  
"Nothing to bother yourself with. You should really get some  
rest," said Ranma as he turned away and closed the door in her  
face.  
  
"Why you!!!" was the last thing he heard as the door shut all  
the way.  
  
++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Morning came, birds were chirping and the sky was clear. It  
was a beautiful day in Nerima.  
  
Ranma Saotome was already up by this time of course, and was  
now sitting at the breakfast table with the Tendo family after  
his morning workout with his father.  
  
Everyone in the home but him had a tired and haggard look  
about them. Even Kasumi looked like she was about to fall asleep  
at the table.  
  
"You over did it last night," said Ranma as he turned towards  
Nabiki and smiled at her cheerfully. "Everyone did really."  
  
"How long were we out last night?" muttered Akane under her  
breath.  
  
"I bet you did this somehow," grumbled Nabiki as she stared  
at the boy.  
  
"You can't blame me because you decided to change your body's  
sleep pattern," replied the boy sunnily.  
  
Kasumi tried to smile, she really did, but it came out as a  
stifled yawn. "AAAhhh. He's right Nabiki. All that running around  
last night wasn't good for us."  
  
"Us? You didn't go anywhere," said Nabiki as she stared at  
the older girl.  
  
"Yes, but I was worried," was the simple response.  
  
"Right, I give up," grumbled Akane as she stood up. "I'm  
going to school. Maybe I can get a nap or something in before  
class starts."  
  
"Not a bad idea," said Nabiki simply as she stood up to  
follow.  
  
Ranma continued to eat his breakfast cheerfully and ignored  
this.  
  
Soun and Genma both looked at him expectantly. The pair had  
taken the loss of sleep rather well considering. Neither one  
looked more than a little tired.  
  
"What?" said Ranma as he glanced at his father.  
  
"Boy! Why are you still sitting here?" said Genma gruffly.  
  
"Why shouldn't I finish eating? They'll be fine, and I don't  
need a nap before school."  
  
The men looked at each other and then back at Ranma again.  
  
The boy gave a heavy sigh and stood up. "All right. I'll go  
look after them if it makes you feel better." He calmly placed  
his chopsticks on top of his bowl and started towards the door.  
  
"Oh! Saotome! It is true! The boy is actually starting to  
like Nabiki! Oh! My daughter! I had worried you'd become an old  
maid!"  
  
"Father really!" gasped Kasumi with a blush forming on her  
cheeks.  
  
"Well, I admit, she does seem like the type," said Genma with  
a small shrug.  
  
"It's nice she's starting to make more friends I suppose,"  
muttered Kasumi as she stood up and started to clear away the  
dishes. The comment hit a little close to home for her though and  
she found herself fretting as soon as she entered the kitchen.  
"Oh my! I hope my own samurai comes soon. I'm not getting any  
younger myself..."  
  
She never noticed Ranma walk by the window of the kitchen  
with a smirk on his face as he strolled forward. "Hmmm not a bad  
idea Tendo. That would definitely get you out of my hair for the  
most part."  
  
If he had his way, the beginnings of the solution to that  
problem would start today.  
  
He always had his way, in the end that is.  
  
+++++++++++++++++++  
  
Furinkan High, fifteen minutes later...  
  
"I hate boys!"  
  
The familiar battle cry rang out across Furinkan's gates. The  
battle had started as it always had, and things were going as  
normal, if a bit slower than usual.  
  
Akane spun and slammed her fist and feet into anything within  
ten feet of her body that moved. Bodies fell onto the courtyard  
in piles as she worked her way through a large portion of the  
male populace of the school.  
  
"Really Akane, such a mess so early in the morning."  
  
"Wha?" muttered the girl as she shoved her hair out of her  
face and gasped for breath as the last of her opponent's fell.  
  
Ranma was sitting on top of the entrance gate with his chin  
in his palm. He was watching quite calmly and seemed to be  
enjoying the show.  
  
"What are you doing here?" said the girl irritably.  
  
"Just because you lost some sleep, don't take it out on me.  
As for your question, I also attend here, do I not?"  
  
Akane frowned, she was almost an hour early. The goon squad  
had been waiting regardless, and she had to fight her way through  
them. "They actually have meetings for this?"  
  
"It would seem that way. Such an unimportant detail seemed...  
Well, unimportant. They started the meeting here about a half-  
hour ago. It was the usual thing, just a pep rally. The same  
thing they'd do for any other sport."  
  
"I am not a sport!" snapped Akane angrily.  
  
"They seem to think so. I'd venture as far as to say that  
some of them don't really care if they can date you or not. It's  
just the thrill of participating really. A rather unusual type of  
danger, but no dumber than jumping into freezing water in the  
nude during the winter. There are men that do that as well."  
  
"Why you!" snarled Akane angrily as she started to roll up  
her sleeve.  
  
"Why are you so angry? I was just making an observation,"  
replied the boy as calmly as ever.  
  
"How dare you insult me like that!" cried the girl angrily.  
  
"Insult? I don't recall insulting you. I could if you'd like  
though. What would you prefer? I've always been partial to  
'uncute tomboy' myself. However, I could get more creative if it  
made you feel better."  
  
Akane stopped her aggressive motion and blinked. "What? Feel  
better?"  
  
"If that's not what's bothering you, then what is it?" said  
Ranma in what seemed like genuine confusion.  
  
"What do you mean creative?" snorted Akane irritably as she  
seemed to remember that the boy's comments were very close to  
insulting.  
  
"Can't even kick, built like a brick, violent as a gorilla,  
you know, the usual. Nothing special, I'm afraid I can't waste  
too much creative energy on something so mundane as an insult.  
It's not really my cup of tea."  
  
Akane was genuinely unsure of what to say.  
  
"Knave! You dare insult Akane Tendo in such a manner!?"  
  
"Ah, good morning Kuno," said Ranma cheerfully as he turned  
to face the older boy.  
  
"Vile cretin! To speak such words in front of the Mighty Blue  
Thunder is death itself!"  
  
"Pardon? But I haven't insulted Akane yet," said the boy as  
he seemed to think about things for a moment. "I'm quite sure of  
it. I was just asking her about her preference in insults. I  
mean, I am going to be her older brother at some point. I should  
be equipped to deal with the situation, shouldn't I?"  
  
"Huh?" said Akane as she stared at him.  
  
"Sooner or later I'll have to marry Nabiki Tendo. I'm bound  
to her by a contract between our families. There's no avoiding  
it, I'd rather have gotten it out of the way today actually, but  
there's something that I have to deal with first though. Perhaps  
next time."  
  
"Contract?" muttered Kuno as he glanced at the boy. "I do not  
understand that of which you speak!"  
  
"Well, from what I understand, it's quite normal for an elder  
brother to insult a younger sibling with light intent."  
  
"Quite true. I must admit that it is acceptable to barb one's  
siblings from time to time."  
  
"Hey!" cried Akane as she stared at Kuno for a moment.  
  
"Do not worry my love. It is but a paltry matter. Once  
Saotome becomes my own brother in law, as much as the thought  
disgusts me, I shall have to endure such barbs myself. For the  
younger sibling often does such things in order to show a twisted  
form of affection. The poisoned food is but a gesture of  
affection, the traps within my home but baubles of sentiment, the  
giant dragon that lurks within the Kuno pond is but a  
heartfelt..."  
  
"Okay. That's just strange Kuno," said the ponytailed boy  
with a small frown forming on his face for a moment.  
  
The older boy stopped and looked at Ranma for a moment with a  
blush forming on his cheeks. "Ahem."  
  
"What the hell is he talking about?" muttered Akane in  
confusion.  
  
"I'm not sure it's in anyone's best interest if I explain,  
but... I think he has a sibling. Probably a younger one, and I  
think he or she is trying to kill him."  
  
Akane stared at Kuno for a moment and couldn't think of a  
single thing to say in reply to that. "Ahhh..."  
  
"Rubbish. She simply wishes to convey her feelings towards  
her elder brother in a constructive manner. She simply does not  
have the knowledge to do so."  
  
"As you say," said Ranma with a small shrug of his shoulders  
as he turned away from the pair. "As interesting as this is. I've  
got places to be this morning."  
  
Akane shrugged her shoulders and followed after him. "Wait.  
How long do we have before class starts?"  
  
"Still plenty of time. If you want a nap, I suppose I could  
wake you when class starts," replied the boy without turning back  
to face her again.  
  
"Great! Later Kuno!" said the girl as she followed after her  
classmate.  
  
The older boy merely nodded towards her and frowned. "Truly,  
such a strange boy." He walked towards the tree that loomed over  
the courtyard and sat down at its trunk to meditate on the  
matter.  
  
+++++++++++++++++  
  
Ono Tofu walked down the road with a frown on his face. He  
was on his way to the strangest meeting he'd ever scheduled. That  
was saying a lot in his profession.  
  
He turned and waved calmly at one of his regular patients,  
who was manning the counter of a small yakitori yattai. He wasn't  
sure what to expect when he finally got there. He was supposed to  
be there when the first bell rang, and that gave him fifteen  
minutes to reach his destination. Plenty of time for him to make  
his way there at his current pace.  
  
Still, the boy bothered him for some reason. He had thought  
the boy was possessed when they had first encountered each other,  
and he had no reason why he had thought that was the case. He was  
just sure. It seemed he was wrong, but maybe not. The boy was  
quite blatant about his power, and while he didn't exactly brag,  
he'd basically hinted that he thought himself very powerful. He  
also had an air of just plain wrongness about him.  
  
"But what am I going to do here?"  
  
The boy was planning something, the look was etched into his  
squinted eyes and cheerful smirk. He always looked like he was  
plotting, Tofu doubted seriously that the look left his face  
much, if at all. The boy might have had it so ingrained that he  
did it even when he wasn't plotting anything.  
  
In any case, the offer was tempting, and the boy's promise  
that he'd have his conscience intact when it was over didn't seem  
like a smoke screen. Tofu doubted if the boy was that honest very  
often at all.  
  
The thing that bothered him the most though, were the  
boy's golden eyes. They seemed to look deeper than they should.  
When the boy was near, he could feel something's eyes on him. Not  
just his body, but his soul and spirit as well. He could feel the  
boy looking at everything about him at once.  
  
"It's damn unsettling..." Tofu walked by a group off somewhat  
scandalized looking older women without realizing he'd spoken out  
loud. The ladies were patients of his, and would probably assume  
that one of them had a serious medical problem. The sad part was  
that they would probably each claim it was themselves, and argue  
over which one was the sickest. He'd just made himself quite a  
bit of money without realizing it.  
  
"Now, which street was it?" he paused at an intersection and  
glanced to the left and right. He didn't come this way very  
often, but a nearby hospital was down at the school almost daily.  
He'd heard horror stories of the 'cleanup' as they had dubbed it.  
Some sort of morning ritual was sending hundreds of boys home  
with various broken bones and concussions. It might be  
interesting to stop by and see exactly what the fuss was about.  
Whenever he asked anyone he knew that attended there, they would  
grow silent. Well, everyone but the Tendo girls. Akane just  
blushed badly, and Nabiki would ask for a large sum of money. It  
would probably be easiest to just stop by one day.  
  
"Ah, this one." He turned towards the school and smiled  
cheerfully.  
  
After walking a few steps his face fell again. "What am I  
going to see here today? If someone like Ranma is worried enough  
to ask for my help..." He narrowed his eyes and picked up his  
pace a bit more. The gates were within his sight and he moved  
along the wall that separated the school from the street.  
Finally, he reached the gate and stood just under it. It was open  
to release the students at the end of the day. Which was about  
five minutes away.  
  
"All right Ranma, let's see what you have to show me."  
  
+++++++++++++++++  
  
Ranma stood outside the doors of Furinkan with a smirk on his  
face as he strolled down the stairs and into the courtyard. He  
strolled calmly and pulled a pocket watch out of his shirt  
pocket. "It's time."  
  
+++++++++++++++++  
  
Ryoga Hibiki had no idea where he was, but that wasn't  
unusual. It was a curse he was likely to bear for the rest of his  
eternity. However long that might be. He was sullen, and had a  
downcast look in his eyes.  
  
"I don't have any idea just how much time I have."  
  
He gave a weak and rather sorrowful smile at the thought.  
  
"How long will it take? I've got to find it! But where do I  
even start to look? Sooner or later, it'll get spent, or  
collected, or even melted down, broken, cut, flattened..."  
  
Ryoga decided that it was too depressing of a thought and  
turned his mind away.  
  
"But, I think I have enough time to find Ranma again. There's  
no way he can win this time." His grin turned cruel as he  
clenched his fist in front of his face. The forest around him was  
thick with brush and trees. He strolled forward and stopped as  
the tree line suddenly ended at a large row of hedges.  
  
"Huh?"  
  
With a slight frown he stared at it for a moment before  
walking right into an athletics field.  
  
"This isn't the forest?"  
  
He looked around trying to find the name of the school  
written on something. A wall, or a flag, or a plaque, anything.  
  
His gaze froze though as his eyes found something of great  
interest.  
  
"Rrrrrrrrannnmmmaaa!" he growled angrily.  
  
The boy was standing on the other side of the field in plain  
sight. He had just exited the building and appeared to be looking  
at something. The only thing between them was the fence that  
surrounded the field.  
  
Ryoga snorted and reached up to his head as he began to pull  
bandanna's off of his forehead.  
  
+++++++++++++++++  
  
TBC...  
  
Bwahahahahahahhaaa! You must wait! What power has Ryoga  
found? Soon, you'll see! 


	6. Mazoku 6

Ranma: Mazoku Factor  
  
Part 6  
  
The Beast.  
  
++++++++++++++++++  
  
Ranma stood calmly in front of the school with a smile on his  
face as the students filed out behind him. He was standing  
directly in front of the building as students walked around him  
and ignored the fact that he was just standing there.  
  
"What's going on?" muttered Tofu as he noticed the boy  
standing alone and still.  
  
"Ranma!" called Akane as she walked out of the building  
behind him and noticed the boy.  
  
"Eh?" said the ponytailed boy as he turned to face her.  
  
"What are you doing? You're standing in everyone's way," said  
the girl with a confused looking frown on her face.  
  
"If I move now, he might lose me," replied Ranma calmly.  
  
"He?" said Akane as she blinked at him for a moment. "What do  
you mean?"  
  
"Stand still," he replied as he glanced off to his right.  
"It's time for this to begin."  
  
"Huh?" was the confused reply.  
  
The next thing the girl remembered hearing was Nabiki's  
alarmed voice call out to her. "Akane! Move!"  
  
She started to turn, but Ranma put a hand on her shoulder.  
"It's best if you stay."  
  
She wasn't sure what to say or do, but an unfamiliar sound  
suddenly tore across the now silent school grounds. "What's...?"  
  
Her eyes went wide as she noticed it zooming towards them at  
an alarming rate of speed. A huge disk looking object was  
careening towards them and creating a high pitched whining noise  
as it cut through the air. It was moving at a forty-five degree  
angle along the ground; cutting into the soil as it rolled  
towards them.  
  
"No!" she gasped in horror. It was far too late to move and  
she shielded herself with her arms.  
  
Ranma simply stood calmly as the disk sailed past them and  
into the crowd of students. The gouge it cut into the ground was  
no more than two feet away from Ranma's feet. The students  
dispersed immediately, diving out of the path of the weapon.  
"It's not over just yet, remain still." Ranma turned to glance at  
her and she gasped as she realized that she was unharmed.  
  
"What? What was that?"  
  
Any reply was cut off as the disk turned and shot by them  
again. The girl gave a frightened squeal as she shielded her head  
protectively again as it moved by. Her reaction was short lived  
though as it tore across the ground towards the athletics field.  
The fence surrounding the field was cut leaving a triangular  
opening in the wire as the disk passed through it again.  
  
Akane's eyes went wide at what she saw on the other side of  
the fence.  
  
Ryoga Hibiki was standing there calmly as the thing spun  
towards him. He stared at it with a dead look in his eyes as it  
moved directly towards him.  
  
"No! Look out!" cried Akane in horror.  
  
The boy gave a humorless chuckle. "Seems she's concerned." He  
calmly raised his hand as it approached him. The crowd was  
deathly silent as all eyes trained on him as he stood there  
waiting for the weapon to reach him.  
  
"Hey! That's..." stammered one of the students dumbly.  
  
Hibiki caught the giant disk in between his thumb and fingers  
as it reached him. The disk exploded into a hundred pieces, tiny  
smaller disks spun in every direction away from him, creating a  
swarm of smaller projectiles around him.  
  
Ryoga simply tied the cloth that now sat in his palm around  
his head as the others spun themselves into the ground and trees  
around him one at a time. "Heh. Ranma Saotome, I've found you at  
last."  
  
The boy simply stood there and watched Ryoga without a hint  
of worry on his features. "Well, that's an interesting trick  
you've learned Hibiki."  
  
"Enough to take care of you for good," snarled the lost boy  
hatefully.  
  
"I doubt that," replied Ranma as he finally turned his body  
to face his opponent. "However, you seem quite sure of yourself,  
Hibiki."  
  
"I'm more than strong enough to do away with the likes of  
you, Saotome," was the response.  
  
"We'll see about that," said Ranma as he smirked at the boy  
and started to walk forward.  
  
"Yes we will," growled Ryoga through his teeth as he started  
forward. He cracked his knuckles as he strolled forward towards  
Ranma.  
  
"You should probably step aside now," said the ponytailed boy  
as he glanced down at Akane.  
  
The girl gave a short nod as she quickly jumped out of the  
way. Fear was still very clear on her face.  
  
"What's going on here?" muttered Nabiki as she noticed the  
pair facing off. Her eyes found Ryoga and she gasped, and quickly  
stepped back away from the pair with her sister.  
  
"So, you found me? Took you long enough," said Ranma with a  
small snort.  
  
"No thanks to you," growled Ryoga angrily.  
  
"I'm not the one who cursed your family," replied Ranma with  
a small shrug. "Think of it as a booster shot."  
  
Ryoga began to drool as he growled in anger.  
  
None of the students nearby could make any sense of the  
conversation.  
  
"At any rate, we've got plenty of time now. School is out."  
  
"You knew I was coming the whole time didn't you?" said Ryoga  
as he calmed visibly.  
  
This surprised Ranma slightly and he cocked his eyebrow at  
the boy.  
  
"Heh. I get it now. You're some kind of wizard aren't you?"  
said Ryoga as he put his foot back and clenched his fists.  
  
Ranma was thoroughly speechless for a moment. "I beg your  
pardon?"  
  
"It all makes sense now!" snarled Ryoga.  
  
Nabiki slapped her forehead with her palm. There was no way  
anyone could be that stupid. Almost in answer to this, a voice  
rang out across the schoolyard.  
  
"What is this? The vile demon Ranma Saotome, and the dark  
creature Ryoga Hibiki again? Fools, your dark magics are not  
welcome upon these hallowed grounds! Be gone!"  
  
Ranma stared at the small slip of paper that landed on the  
ground in front of him.  
  
Ryoga blinked as he looked at the one that was stuck on his  
forehead. "What the hell?"  
  
"Kuno, I did warn you about this," said Ranma as he turned to  
look at the boy that was now standing between them. He had a  
Shinto warding stick in his hands and was waving it around.  
  
"Fools, your dark magics are no match for Japanese  
Tradition!!"  
  
Ryoga snorted and tore the ward from his forehead. "Who the  
hell is this jerk?!"  
  
"That's just Tacchi. He's mostly harmless, but a bit dense,  
can take a pretty good beating too."  
  
"Good," growled Ryoga as he swatted the boy upside his head  
with a casual swipe of his arm. Kuno went flying away, and  
impacted on the wall of the building. A spider web of cracks  
appeared when his head hit and he slumped down to the ground out  
cold.  
  
"Well, I would have been a bit gentler with him..." said  
Ranma as he looked on at Kuno's fallen body.  
  
Akane flinched to move towards the fallen boy, but Nabiki's  
hand on her shoulder stopped her. "He could be..."  
  
"He's fine, you've done worse to him in the past," said  
Nabiki calmly.  
  
The girl blinked as she realized her sister was right and  
relaxed. "You're right." She also had a sizable blush on her  
cheeks as she realized that most of the students were staring at  
her after she had voiced that.  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Ono Tofu frowned deeply as he watched the pair face off. The  
boy who had interfered was dealt with rather harshly.  
  
A quick jog put him inside the gates and nearer to the fight.  
He paused when the boy rolled over on his back and stopped his  
jogging. "He's...not hurt? Lucky boy." His frown deepened as he  
turned to face the pair. It had been a reckless battle so far,  
even though the first punch had yet to be thrown.  
  
Whoever Ranma Saotome's opponent was, he was very dangerous.  
  
+++++++++++++++++  
  
Ranma calmly waved his arm in a sweeping motion and stared at  
Ryoga calmly. "Let's see, you've been off training? Did you take  
my advice?"  
  
"I'll show you!" snarled Ryoga as he suddenly became a flurry  
of motion. In an instant Ranma was the target of dozens of small  
razor sharp disks. They spun through the air and twisted and  
turned as they moved towards him.  
  
The boy's smile never faded and he seemed to vanish from  
sight as the projectiles passed by where he had been and into the  
crowd.  
  
Students clamored over each other in order to escape. Most of  
them received small cuts and possibly the loss of a bit of hair  
and clothing.  
  
Ryoga growled as he glanced around as he saw this. He put two  
fingers into the air and the disks stopped cold and hovered in  
the air. "Come out and fight Saotome!"  
  
"Why would I do something like that?" said the ponytailed  
boy's voice from directly behind him.  
  
Ryoga jumped and twisted in the air, pointing his fingers at  
Ranma.  
  
The dangerous projectiles spun back towards them directly at  
the ponytailed boy.  
  
"Heh. Pathetic," snorted Ranma.  
  
Ryoga put all ten of his fingers out and pointed them at each  
other in front of his chest. They formed a sphere around him and  
enclosed him almost completely.  
  
"Very interesting Hibiki," said Ranma as he appeared in front  
of the boy.  
  
Ryoga narrowed his eyes and growled, one of the bandannas  
shot forward and took a slice at Ranma.  
  
The boy vanished and reappeared nearby, the disk corrected  
itself and turned to chase him. Ranma compensated for this by  
vanishing and reappearing at random at various points around  
Ryoga.  
  
"Hoping to play keep away Hibiki? Beating me at a distance is  
your game? After all, if I can't hit you, I can't hurt you?  
Correct?"  
  
"Heh. You think that could satisfy me?" said Ryoga hatefully.  
  
  
Ranma smirked. "Probably not."  
  
Ryoga grunted and clenched his fists. The bandannas shot out  
in every direction, they twisted and converged in at random,  
making avoiding them that much more difficult. The weapons kept  
their basically spherical shape around the lost boy and buzzed  
like a swarm of angry bees around him.  
  
Ranma didn't even bother to vanish this time, he simply  
cocked his head or moved his leg on occasion as a few of them  
passed. "Hard to control this many isn't it?"  
  
Ryoga chuckled. "You'd think." He spread his hands out in  
front of him and Ranma simply turned his head to watch as the  
bandanna weapons were suddenly all around him, hovering in a  
sphere around him. "I've got you! I'll slice you to ribbons one  
piece at a time!!"  
  
Ranma merely smirked. "Try it."  
  
Ryoga screamed and the bandannas began to switch sides within  
the sphere, by going through Ranma. Unfortunately, the staff in  
his hands casually deflected each one.  
  
Holes began to appear in the trap and Ryoga growled angrily.  
"Damn! I'll kill you quickly then!" He closed his fists once  
again and the bandannas converged as one, intent on slicing him  
to ribbons by shrinking around him.  
  
Ryoga's jaw dropped as Ranma stood amidst a pile of limp  
bandannas on the ground, his staff working quickly on the last  
few that remained in the air. "Heh. An interesting trick, but the  
energies you use to create the effect are easily disrupted. Just  
a tap to make them off balance and they become harmless."  
  
Ryoga was burning with rage. "Is that so?"  
  
"Yes, I'm afraid it is. If you're quite finished, you can go  
now. You've got training to see too after all."  
  
By this point the boy was almost seeing red. "Damn you  
Saotome..."  
  
"I can handle that on my own thanks," replied the ponytailed  
boy with a small wave of his hand.  
  
"Dodge this then!" screamed Ryoga as he began to pull  
bandannas off his head.  
  
"Oh brother," muttered Ranma with a sigh.  
  
+++++++++++++++++++  
  
Tofu frowned as he watched the battle. He did go over and  
check on Kuno, but the boy was as healthy as he could be  
considering what had happened too him. He'd have little more than  
an irritating red mark on his forehead.  
  
Akane and Nabiki were taking a lot of interest in the battle,  
most of the students were a healthy distance away by this point.  
They were standing a ways off, but they were closer than the rest  
of the students were.  
  
He decided to go over and stand with them. The Hibiki boy was  
now covered in a sphere of his own weapons. He pushed his glasses  
up his nose as he strolled towards the pair. "Hello."  
  
"Oh! Dr. Tofu! What are you doing here?!" gasped Akane in  
shock.  
  
"Ranma told me that I might be interested," said Tofu as he  
glanced at Nabiki.  
  
The girl snorted and glanced at him for a moment. It wasn't a  
pleasant look. "That doesn't surprise me."  
  
"Pardon me?" said Tofu dumbly. "I'm not in on this you know.  
He seems to want something from me though."  
  
"He knew about this the whole time," said Nabiki as she saw  
Ranma fighting inside the large sphere of projectiles.  
  
"Oh no!" gasped Akane. "That thing has him!"  
  
Nabiki frowned as she noticed Ranma glance back at them for a  
moment. He still had a grin on his face. "He doesn't look  
worried."  
  
"Interesting," said Tofu as he nodded. "Ranma doesn't seem to  
be having too much trouble."  
  
"Are you kidding? He's about to be killed!" cried Akane.  
  
There was a collective gasp from all around them as Ranma  
escaped the trap. He was almost too fast to see as he struck at  
the quickly closing sphere's walls.  
  
His opponent didn't look happy at all.  
  
"Ryoga's lost!" said Nabiki as she turned to face them.  
  
Tofu shook his head. "No, not yet."  
  
+++++++++++++++++++  
  
"Seems she knows you better than I thought," said Ranma as he  
glared into Ryoga's rage filled eyes. Nabiki's comment was loud  
enough that they had both overheard.  
  
The boy merely snorted and spun his hands. One of the giant  
disks shot forward towards Ranma. Literally hundreds of the  
bandannas working together to create a large one.  
  
The ponytailed boy merely sidestepped. "Really Hibiki. You  
had a better chance of hitting me with the other technique.  
  
"We'll see!" cried Ryoga angrily as he sent out two more of  
the giant disks.  
  
"How many of these things do you have on by the way?" said  
Ranma as he realized the boy still had one tied around his head.  
  
"Shut up and die!" screamed Ryoga angrily as he jumped back  
and closed his arms together.  
  
Two of the disks twisted and moved to cut through Ranma from  
either side. The ponytailed boy frowned at this and vanished,  
only to have the third one draw a bead on him as soon as he  
appeared again.  
  
"This could grow irritating," said Ranma as he vanished  
again, only to have the same thing happen. One of the disks moved  
up behind him and Ranma turned to glare at it for a moment. It  
came within ten feet and exploded into the smaller bandannas.  
They all surged towards him as he dodged through them, in a split  
second they converged back together into the disk and spun away,  
almost catching him as they reformed.  
  
"This grows irritating," said Ranma as he landed and faced  
Ryoga again.  
  
"Come on Saotome!" snarled Ryoga.  
  
"Very well, I shall show you the simplest way to defeat this  
technique," said Ranma coldly as he stood calmly as all three of  
the disks converged on him.  
  
The instant they were together they all exploded around him.  
  
Ryoga roared triumphantly. "There's no way you got out of  
that one without a scratch or two Saotome!"  
  
"I beg to differ," said Ranma as he appeared behind Ryoga and  
jabbed him with the bottom of his staff in the back.  
  
Ryoga cried out angrily in pain and fell forward.  
  
"The technique is useful, but it leaves you open to attack  
once you stop using it to protect yourself. I only need to get a  
single blow in to break your concentration."  
  
The disks fell to the ground lamely as their power source was  
cut off.  
  
"An interesting artifact. Family heirloom?" said Ranma as he  
poked at the bandanna on the back of the boy's head with the butt  
of his staff.  
  
"Damn you," growled the lost boy as he staggered to his feet  
while holding his stomach.  
  
"Surprisingly powerful magic that is, but ultimately, it only  
has a single use, and it is difficult to use. I am correct aren't  
I?"  
  
"Shut up," growled Ryoga hatefully.  
  
"Tell me, did you train yourself to become that powerful, or  
did your new friend help out a bit?"  
  
Ryoga clenched his teeth angrily. "What? What are you talking  
about?"  
  
"Come on Hibiki. No one becomes this strong, this fast on his  
own. Someone is helping you, and I'll bet I know who it is."  
  
Ryoga snarled. "So, you know about that do you?"  
  
Ranma's face fell into a deep frown.  
  
"Heh. You haven't even seen that power yet. I didn't really  
think I'd need it."  
  
The ponytailed boy simply stared at his opponent. His face  
was completely unreadable.  
  
"Come on Ranma. Let's see you deal with this!" Ryoga howled  
with laughter and raised his hands into the air.  
  
Ranma glanced down at the glowing circle that appeared on the  
ground between them. "I see." Lines began to form, some small and  
curved, others large and straight, a star surrounded by strange  
words and languages appeared inside the glowing circle.  
  
"Hahahahahhaaa! Take this Saotome! Beast! I summon thee!"  
  
A huge mass of gray hulking fur began to rise from the ground  
between them.  
  
Ranma stepped back, his face as calm as ever.  
  
"What will you do now Saotome?" snarled Ryoga as the fifteen-  
foot hulking monstrosity loomed over them.  
  
It was a gorilla like creature, with massive sharp claws and  
fangs, its fur was gray, and its muscles were gigantic, giving it  
a sort of statue like appearance.  
  
It roared angrily and the students that remained behind were  
either dashing for cover, or frozen in absolute terror.  
  
Ranma merely looked up at it. "Well, hello."  
  
The creature snorted disdainfully at the insect before it and  
growled. Drool fell from its jaws as it bared its teeth.  
  
The boy merely jumped into the air and over the clawed  
strike, but was caught in midair by the other arm.  
  
"Ranma!" cried Akane in shock.  
  
"Get down! Are you out of your mind!?" cried Nabiki as she  
pulled the girl back under the bushes that she and Tofu were  
still hiding in.  
  
"This is definitely not what I expected," said Tofu  
nervously.  
  
"No shit! Ranma's in big trouble now. That thing we saw him  
kill wasn't near that big!" whispered Nabiki.  
  
"Thing? Killed?" said Tofu in confusion.  
  
"We watched Ranma kill an Oni last night," said Akane as she  
turned towards the man.  
  
"Oh my," said Tofu as he pushed his glasses up his nose and  
frowned. "Are you sure?"  
  
"Pretty sure," said Nabiki as she jerked her thumb towards  
the gorilla creature as it lumbered off in the direction Ranma  
had been thrown.  
  
"I see," said Tofu with a nervous smile.  
  
+++++++++++++++++  
  
Ranma chuckled as he landed in the trees after flipping over a  
few branches after he was thrown into the woods. He was unharmed  
from the blow and jumped down a few feet to a thicker branch.  
"Well, isn't this interesting Hibiki."  
  
"What's the matter Ranma!" called Ryoga's voice from outside  
the clearing. "Too much for you to handle?"  
  
"Heh. Hibiki, you just might be as interesting as I'd hoped."  
  
+++++++++++++++++++  
  
Ryoga chuckled as his monster uprooted trees and tossed them  
aside easily in its search for its target. He stood just outside  
the woods and casually paced back and forth, keeping an eye out  
for his opponent's possible escape.  
  
He frowned slightly as he remembered that he might not  
necessarily see him running either. "Ranma? Are you still there?  
Or is this too much for you?"  
  
"Hibiki, maybe it's time I showed you my little pet."  
  
Ryoga froze, as did his monster. The voice hadn't come from a  
particular direction, but sounded as if it was coming from all  
around him. "What the? That coward!" Then what had been said hit  
him. "Pet?"  
  
The giant monster froze and slowly turned its head towards  
the remaining trees to its right. A low growl started in its  
throat and it stopped what it was doing.  
  
"Hey! Keep looking!" snapped Ryoga angrily.  
  
The thing glanced down at him for a moment, but didn't spare  
that much attention as its master realized exactly what it was  
looking at.  
  
"Oh shit," said Ryoga.  
  
Two glowing red eyes could be seen inside the shadows of the  
trees. A loud growling noise could be heard from within.  
  
Ryoga took a step back at what he saw emerge from the woods.  
  
It was massive, easily ten feet tall and twenty feet long. It  
had long white fur and a wolf-like muzzle. It's paws were more  
like claws, with fingers for grabbing things, two large horns  
rose into the air behind its ears and a fish like dorsal ran down  
the length of its back to its long furry tail. It's teeth were  
easily twice the size than those of his own beast's. There were  
also things that could be seen protruding out of the light gray  
fur patches on its back and sides, but he couldn't quite make out  
what they were under the thick coat. He could see some places on  
its body twitching with movement.  
  
It was a gigantic predator, much more powerful than the one  
he had from the look of it.  
  
"What the hell is that?" he muttered to himself.  
  
"What? This beastly thing?" said Ranma's voice. The lost boy  
still couldn't see him.  
  
"Come out and fight me like a man!"  
  
"What? You mean like your original plan?"  
  
Ryoga realized he was in some serious trouble.  
  
The best jumped forward onto the creature he had summoned,  
and it wasn't much of a battle. The gorilla thing lashed out once  
with its claws, but they were easily caught, and its throat was  
ripped wide-open seconds later.  
  
The larger beast tore into the carcass, ripping large chunks  
of flesh out and tossing them aside as it dismembered its victim  
completely.  
  
Ryoga was as pale as a ghost at the sight of what remained of  
his monster. "No! This can't be!"  
  
"Kill," said Ranma's voice simply.  
  
The wolf like creature simply bounded forward and caught  
Ryoga in its jaws easily. The lost boy was tossed into the air  
screaming before he was snapped into the massive jaws again.  
  
Students cowered even deeper into their hiding places, none  
of them daring to try and run away. Each praying that he or she  
was smart enough to do so once things started getting messy. Only  
around a fifth of the school remained behind, now trapped by  
their own terror.  
  
The sickening sound of bones cracking filled the silent  
grounds as the creature chewed Ryoga up and gulped him down  
loudly.  
  
Finally, the noise stopped and everything went silent.  
  
"It's over?" whispered Akane as she looked up at Tofu and her  
sister. She was curled in a little ball with wide eyes staring  
anywhere but at the thing that had arrived to destroy her world.  
  
"No. It's just...standing there," said Tofu as he watched  
through a small hole in the bushes. "Staring straight at us."  
  
Nabiki shivered and turned to look at him. "Should we run?"  
  
"We'd never make it," said Tofu.  
  
"I don't wanna die! I don't wanna die!" muttered Akane over  
and over as she became even more nervous.  
  
A loud gurgling noise stopped any conversation in the group.  
  
"Oh god no," said Nabiki with a sick look growing on her  
face.  
  
The creature simply raised up its tail to an upright  
position, set its hind feet, and promptly took a large dump in  
the middle of the school grounds.  
  
The ground was splattered violently as the monster did its  
business. It turned around to glance at the pile for a moment and  
jumped into the cover of a large clearing of trees.  
  
Ranma jumped down out of the same clearing a split second  
later. "Heh. Let's see how long it takes you to recover from that  
Hibiki."  
  
The giant pile bubbled a bit in response to that, but quickly  
settled to a giant steaming pile of stench.  
  
He turned away and started to walk towards the gates. "It's  
over now. You can all come out. I sent my friend home, and  
Hibiki's is in no condition to eat any of you."  
  
Slowly, wary students began to emerge from their various  
points of cover. There were only about twenty of them left, not  
counting Tofu and the two Tendo girls.  
  
"What the hell was that?" said Nabiki as she stared at him  
with wide eyes.  
  
"Just an old friend of mine. Nothing to worry about."  
  
"Are you kidding!? He ate that guy!" screamed Akane as she  
pointed at the pile.  
  
"He'll get better," replied Ranma with a shrug. "At any rate,  
we should go."  
  
Nabiki nodded and frowned deeply as she started after the  
boy.  
  
"Ranma," said Tofu with a serious looking nod.  
  
"I'm glad you decided to show up," replied the boy.  
  
"Why? I saw what happened, you don't need my help," said Tofu  
calmly.  
  
"Ryoga Hibiki grows more powerful every time I see him. He's  
getting help, and that means that he'll be even more dangerous  
the next time he shows up. I'd like another set of eyes and ears  
on the lookout so to speak."  
  
Tofu frowned at this.  
  
"Think of yourself as an advisor of sorts. There may be a  
problem or two I need a small hand on from time to time. As you  
can see, he's a lot more dangerous than I had predicted."  
  
"I see," said the Doctor finally.  
  
"What? What the? I..." stammered Akane. She had no idea what  
to say or do at the moment.  
  
Nabiki narrowed her eyes at Ranma and kept silent. The boy  
was much more dangerous than she had imagined. Something on this  
level was not something she was sure she could handle. That  
scared here a lot.  
  
"Don't let it show," she muttered under her breath as she  
looked up at Ranma and Tofu. They appeared to be having a sort of  
staring contest, but neither looked even slightly annoyed.  
Finally, she worked up the nerve to speak to them. "Daddy is  
going to be upset if we don't show up soon. We should have been  
home by now."  
  
"I suppose you're right. Although, I doubt if he'll worry  
much, after all, I'm here," replied Ranma.  
  
Nabiki snorted at this. "Come on Akane, we're going home."  
  
The younger girl looked a little confused, but decided to  
follow her sister.  
  
Ranma merely watched them go for a minute. "Then again, that  
could be what's worrying you."  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Ranma sat at the Tendo home a short time later with a cup of  
tea in his hands. He seemed quite relaxed, but tensed up a bit as  
Kasumi approached him from behind. "Er, hello."  
  
"Did something happen at school today? Nabiki and Akane seem  
a little upset."  
  
The boy shuddered and turned to look at her with his usual  
grin. "I guess you could say that, neither one of them was  
involved though."  
  
"Oh dear. I guess it was just too much excitement." She wrung  
her hands nervously and turned away.  
  
Ranma nodded to himself as he faced the yard again.  
  
++++++++++++++++  
  
Tatewaki Kuno stood up and rubbed at his head for a moment.  
It was another of those damnable marks. He could tell already.  
His doctor insisted that it wasn't some kind of rash, but he had  
them so often. He wasn't really sure where they came from.  
  
He paused and glanced around. He was still on the school  
grounds, but both Ryoga, Ranma, and everyone else had left.  
  
"I...I am victorious! The foul creatures' dark magic was no  
match for the power of the Kuno Family Spirit Wards! Alas, once  
again, the Mighty Blue Thunder of Furinkan High arises the  
victor! Akane Tendo will no doubt with to express her gratitude  
for my brave deeds upon the morn! I shall await your sweet  
embrace my love!"  
  
With that he dashed towards his home, so that he could go to  
sleep and the morning would come sooner.  
  
++++++++++++++++  
  
Akane looked at her hands as she sat at the table about an  
hour after she'd gotten home. She'd just come from her room and  
done a bit of thinking. "Magic? Is it real? What exactly did I  
see today?"  
  
Ranma was sitting on the porch ignoring everything around him  
as usual. There were certain times of the day when he was easy to  
find. It was sort of a ritual for him to relax during the early  
evening now. He sipped at his tea and glanced back, seeming to  
just realize that she was looking at her.  
  
"Something wrong Tendo?"  
  
Akane frowned and stood up to move up beside him. "How do you  
do that?"  
  
"Huh?" was the immediate reply.  
  
"Those things, like how you vanish, and that monster."  
  
Ranma stared at her for a moment and said nothing. He seemed  
to be looking at her a little harder than normal, but it still  
seemed like a passing glance.  
  
"What?" she muttered as she flushed a little.  
  
"It's not that difficult to learn a few little tricks," he  
replied with a small shrug. "However, at the moment, it's beyond  
you."  
  
"What's that supposed to mean?" snapped the girl angrily.  
  
"Someday, magic will be in the hands of all humanity. That  
time is still a ways off, as it is now, only those with  
extraordinary talent can call upon the power needed."  
  
"So, only certain people can do it?" said Akane as her anger  
abated a bit.  
  
"For the time being, yes. That doesn't mean you can't learn,  
just that it will be a bit more difficult than I'd be able to  
cope with."  
  
"Huh?" muttered the girl.  
  
"You're not observant enough," he replied with a small  
chuckle.  
  
"What's that supposed to mean?" said the girl irritably.  
  
"Nabiki would be better suited to learning things like this.  
She pays attention, and looks for things most people don't. You  
could learn, but I wouldn't know where to even begin teaching  
you."  
  
"So, you're going to train Nabiki and not me then?" said  
Akane with a little bit of irritation in her voice.  
  
"Of course not. I'm far too busy right now to take on a  
student. Besides, who says I want one?"  
  
"But, the schools...the agreement!" said Akane as she stared  
forward with wide eyes.  
  
"Let me worry about that, I think things will work out better  
for you in the end. Besides, I've got this thing about teaching  
uncute flat chested tomboys how to throw fireballs."  
  
"What?" said Akane as she cracked her knuckles.  
  
"Oh dear," said Ranma as he seemed to realize he had upset  
her. "Well, I've got places to be..."  
  
"No you don't! Get back here you bastard!" screamed Akane  
angrily as she dove for him.  
  
He was gone when she landed. "That jerk! Wait until I get my  
hands on him!"  
  
Ranma smiled as he stood on the wall that surrounded the  
building, just out of her line of sight. "Well, perhaps I should  
let her cool off a bit..." He turned and jumped down into the  
street.  
  
++++++++++++++++++  
  
Tofu frowned as he stopped sweeping the front of his clinic  
for a moment and turned his head. "I wasn't expecting to see you  
tonight."  
  
Ranma walked out of the shadows. "Well, something came up at  
the Tendo place. I figured it would be a good time to take a walk  
and this was the first place I thought of."  
  
Tofu nodded and stepped aside, motioning for him to go  
inside. "Well you've got good timing. I'm just closing up for the  
night."  
  
Ranma smiled as he walked inside.  
  
The pair took off their shoes and moved to the table in the  
back room. Each had a cup of tea set before them and they settled  
in to talk.  
  
"What do you want?" asked Tofu calmly.  
  
"To the point then?" said Ranma with a slight chuckle. "I  
don't need help with anything at the moment if that's what you  
mean."  
  
"A relief," said Tofu with a serious nod. He actually meant  
it, and that surprised him slightly.  
  
Ranma looked at him and nodded. "Yes. I thought we could  
discuss your little problem."  
  
Tofu quickly set his cup down. "I'm listening."  
  
"Well, you're allergic to Kasumi's aura. It's too pure for  
you to handle. Your body goes into a sort of spiritual epileptic  
fit."  
  
The man frowned at this and turned his head away. "I've  
thought about it, and it seems to be the only explanation."  
  
"Of course," said Ranma modestly. "However, the fact that we  
know what the problem is, presents several courses of action we  
could take immediately."  
  
Tofu nodded seriously. "And?"  
  
"Well, wards are unreliable, who knows how long it would take  
for us to find a suitable way to cancel the effect. A way that  
will most likely involve something that must be kept up  
regularly, a pill or whatnot. Then, there is the simple answer."  
  
"Simple?" said Tofu cautiously.  
  
"We'll ignore that one, because I'm sure you won't care for  
it much," said Ranma almost casually.  
  
"What is it?" said the man curiously.  
  
"Oh really. It's a bad idea, you'll get upset."  
  
"I'm listening, and I won't get upset."  
  
"Promise?" said Ranma as his grin widened somewhat.  
  
"Yes. Tell me."  
  
"The simple solution to your problem is child's play. Corrupt  
Kasumi."  
  
"What?" said Tofu as he went pale.  
  
"Nothing serious, just a guilty pleasure or two. Something  
she won't feel too bad about doing, but still knows is wrong.  
Start her smoking cigarettes, or some drinking, maybe some  
gambling, possibly some weed... any of these would work well,  
just something a tiny bit evil. Of course, we aren't sure about  
just how far we'll have to go before you can finally act normally  
around her."  
  
Tofu was dumbstruck. "I..." He hung his head and shook it  
slowly. "I couldn't do that."  
  
"Well, lets not rule that option out. There may be another  
way. It's just a matter of finding it, but as a last resort..."  
  
"What you're telling me is, that unless I can find another  
way. My only choice is to give her up forever."  
  
"If that's how you want to put it, yes." Ranma shrugged his  
shoulders. It was a long shot anyway. At least, this early in the  
game it was. He glanced up at Tofu and smirked.  
  
The man's face was covered in conflict.  
  
"Heh. Excellent," thought Ranma to himself as he watched the  
man mull over his problem. Just how much did Tofu love Kasumi?  
How far was he willing to go? Soon, it would be time to test  
those waters out. The man could become very useful indeed.  
  
"I'll be going now. Think about your options, and let me know  
when you decide."  
  
Before, it was his career or Kasumi. Now, he had another way  
out, but was he willing to do it? That was a question that only  
time could reveal.  
  
+++++++++++++++  
  
TBC... 


	7. Mazoku 7

Ranma: Mazoku Factor  
  
Part 7  
  
The Truth.  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Ono Tofu sat in his office staring at the wall with a small cup of lukewarm sake in his hands. It was dark outside, but still relatively early. He was just sitting alone in the dark. The only light in the building was the flashing of a digital clock and the street lamp near the window of the waiting room. The door was open and a little of the light stretched across the pitch-black room. His face was a deep frown as he contemplated his current situation. He wasn't even sure why he was involved with any of this. The boy seemed to bring him in on a whim, but he knew that it was carefully planned before hand, probably from the moment he first met him. Possibly sooner than that even.  
  
Still, here he sat. Mulling over things that seemed more and more sinister the more he thought about it. A boy of only sixteen years in age had done this too him, purposely.   
  
He was a goddamn doctor. He ran a very successful clinic in a small suburban area. He had intuition; he had to have it. He found himself confronted with all manner of medical problems in his situation. He had to be able to find the answers quickly sometimes.   
  
"...But this kid..."  
  
He was an arrogant bastard. That's what he was. He thought that he was smarter, that he could control the situation absolutely.   
  
"What scares me is that he might be right."  
  
He placed the cup down and rubbed at his temples. The boy was evil, every sense he had told him. He was hiding a lot of secrets, dangerous ones. He seriously doubted if the boy needed his aid at all. The Hibiki boy had died a rather unpleasant death, and had no doubt died a few times before that incident. The fact that he even considered that an absolute truth bothered him on more than one level.   
  
It also intrigued him. Healing power of that magnitude, and what it could mean for his profession and the world. It sort of scared him really. The thought of what could happen if no one would ever die. He seriously hoped that such a race of men would be sterilized by whatever caused it. Someone had discovered that kind of power though, and it was a possibility that knowledge would spread somehow.  
  
Maybe that was why Ranma was trying to get rid of him? Why did he think he could help him anyway? Ryoga Hibiki didn't need a lot of intelligence from what he'd seen. The boy would no doubt be up and walking around again in a month at most. He was glad that he'd spoken with a few of the students to get the details of the other encounter with Hibiki. Ranma was right about him, he was dangerous and he had to be stopped. Ranma seemed to hint that some very powerful dark forces were backing him somehow.  
  
Still, he doubted if whatever was backing him was much better. He couldn't just ignore something like this. The end result would probably be bad no matter who won. There probably wasn't anything he could do about it though. He might be able to find a way if he stayed close to Ranma. The very idea disgusted him, but he could not turn back.   
  
The bastard who had given him a damn choice, the one who had told him the cure for the hole in his heart that seemed to grow with each passing day. It denied him even a chance to realize his dream. The answer was so simple. Corrupt her.  
  
"Just a little." He barely whispered the words as his face twisted into anger. He wanted him to do it. He had no idea why. Was he after him? Her? Both of them? He wanted her out of his way for some reason. Tofu had no idea how far the boy would go to do that. What he knew of Ranma Saotome was not promising either.  
  
In a way, he would be protecting her. If the boy got what he wanted, he would probably leave the both of them alone. Then again, maybe he wouldn't.   
  
"Stop trying to rationalize it!" he muttered under his breath. He might have her, but she would be changed. Would it be enough to matter?   
  
The frustrated man ran his hand through his hair as he fumbled at his pocket for a moment. He pulled out a pack of cigarettes and slipped one into his mouth. His lighter flicked on and the light revealed an overflowing ashtray on the table in front of him. He took a drag and sat back as he exhaled. He simply sat in the faint orange light of his cigarette as it faded into a tiny pinpoint of light in the darkness.  
  
"What the hell am I doing? What am I going to do?" He couldn't find the answers. He also knew he was running out of time if he was going to do anything at all. There was a way to possibly buy more time though. Unfortunately, that was also his biggest problem. He thought it was possible that he had gone insane and was just rationalizing a way to make himself do it. He knew more than anything else, that what Ranma told him then was true.  
  
Ranma was real though, and he was looking more and more dangerous as time went by.  
  
He finally downed his drink and simply sat in thoughtless silence for a time.   
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Nabiki Tendo stormed down from her room with a frown on her face. Genma, Soun, and Ranma all sat around the table drinking tea. Kasumi emerged from the kitchen with a worried looking frown as the men stared at her dumbly as she glared at Ranma.  
  
"I do believe she's upset with me."  
  
"It would seem so," agreed Soun.  
  
"I don't recall doing anything that should upset her."  
  
"It's part of being married son. You'll get used to it." Genma nodded sagely.  
  
Nabiki's gaze shifted to her father and Genma for a moment. The fact that they were speaking as if she wasn't there in front of them would be dealt with later. Her eyes quickly reverted back on target though as she turned her attention back to him.  
  
"Your focus is admirable," commented Ranma cheerfully.  
  
"What the hell do you mean you haven't done anything to upset me? You dragged me halfway across town in the middle of the night just so you could show off! Oh, and the ten foot tall demon was a nice fucking touch!"  
  
Ranma simply stared at her cheerfully. "I didn't realize you were so squeamish. I'll be more careful about who I let follow me next time."  
  
Nabiki's jaw simply dropped. "You..."   
  
Ranma was on the other side of the table at this point. It was clear he wasn't expecting quite so strong a reaction from her. Her face was a rather nasty snarl as she clenched her fists at her side. "You and I need to talk. Right now."  
  
"Sure, we'll use your room," replied Ranma.  
  
"Absolutely not!" snapped Nabiki.  
  
"Why son! That's a wonderful idea!" cried Genma.  
  
"Quite so Saotome! Surely they'll get the most privacy there. I believe Akane is using the dojo at the moment."  
  
Akane was dressed in her pajamas and had a towel over her shoulder as she emerged from the bathroom.  
  
Genma and Soun looked back at her.   
  
"Why Akane! I thought you were in the dojo."  
  
The girl looked at the scene in front of her and wasn't quite sure what to make of it. Nabiki was looking at Ranma like she wanted to kill him. Ranma was...Ranma. Their parents were hunched over the pair, each grasping his own child by the shoulders as they pushed them towards the stairs. They hadn't even stopped to speak with her. Ranma and Nabiki seemed to be moving slowly towards the stairs though. Ranma didn't seem to be fighting at all. Nabiki was clawing at her father. They hadn't even waited for them to stand up before they started shoving.  
  
"Um. I practiced earlier." She turned to glare at Ranma. "This is your fault isn't it?"  
  
"Actually, I believe it was our Grandparent's fault, but nice try."  
  
The girl snorted and turned her head away.  
  
"Go get in a few kata before bed dear."  
  
"But, I just took a bath!"  
  
"Don't argue Akane! You know daddy is only thinking about your training!"  
  
Akane just looked at him for a moment. It was painfully obvious that he was lying too her. She turned away and slowly shuffled to the dojo. It was quite clear that all she had to do was go inside and stand around for a few minutes. "Fine."  
  
Nabiki twisted away from her father and slapped him across his face. "Fine. We'll go to my room. I'm going to get you for this later though."  
  
Soun was frozen in place as he stared at her dumbly. "But...but...I'm your father!"  
  
"I know that," she snapped as she turned away and stomped up to her room. Ranma was already standing there with his arms crossed. He'd escaped his father's grip when she'd slapped hers.  
  
She opened the door and pointed inside.  
  
Ranma's eyes narrowed as he strolled inside and sat on the floor in front of the bed.   
  
Nabiki narrowed her eyes at him. "Turn towards the chair."  
  
The boy didn't seem bothered by her tone, but obeyed.   
  
She straddled the back of the chair and crossed her arms across the back. It felt comfortable to have a barrier of some kind between them, even if she knew it wouldn't do any good if he did decide to try something. She had a feeling there were lots of different kinds of 'something' with him.  
  
Ranma simply continued to smile cheerfully as he looked up at her. She could see his eyes, two rings of gold peered back at her as she sat there. They seemed to be piercing through her, searching every part of her being, even parts she didn't even know existed. This wasn't something he expected, and he was still trying to figure out what was going on exactly.  
  
"I want you to talk."  
  
"Pardon?" said Ranma as he arched his eyebrow slightly. His calculating gaze vanished in an instant.  
  
"I want you to start telling me what you've involved us in."  
  
"Actually, I was trying to keep you out of it."  
  
"What?"  
  
"I like this less than you do. However, I can't really break a contract."  
  
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" hissed Nabiki.  
  
The boy's smile widened a bit at this. "A very interesting question Nabiki Tendo."  
  
She seemed confused by that for a split second. Ranma knew he had her attention. He reached into his cloak and took out a large round red crystal. He also pulled a five-foot long staff out of the bag that hung on his hip. She knew this wasn't meant to impress her as he placed the small hook at the tip of the staff. "It's valuable and fragile, that's why I don't leave it in all the time."  
  
The girl simply increased the intensity of her glare. "Get to the point."  
  
"A lesson if you will. There are many kinds of contracts in the world. Some are written on paper, others are verbal, then there are spiritual contracts. Breaking each kind has different repercussions. Some you'll never know about, others just simply don't effect you because it takes something you never knew you had."  
  
Nabiki nodded at this. "This is something you use a lot isn't it."  
  
"Sort of, but it is very important to me. Enough that a loveless marriage wouldn't bother me much."  
  
The girl froze with her gaze locked onto the smug looking grin on his face. "You meant that didn't you."  
  
"I'll admit that being rid of you would be more convenient for me in the end, I'd rather not drag you or your family into this at all actually. If you want the truth, I was trying to scare your father the other night. He wouldn't have cared if I'd put him in your position, but his two youngest daughters?"  
  
Nabiki simply let her jaw drop again. There was no hiding the realization she'd just been hit with. "You...you planned all of this before you even got here!"  
  
"More or less," replied the boy calmly. "I'll admit I wasn't counting on Hibiki showing up, or the idiot swordsman."  
  
"You seem to know what's going on most of the time. I should have known. Hibiki is probably working with you."  
  
"Don't give him that much credit," commented Ranma. "He's not the best of people."  
  
"Who are you to talk?"  
  
"He's not the worst of people either."   
  
"You owe me an explanation."  
  
"Do I?" replied Ranma calmly.   
  
"You're damn right!"  
  
"My but you've gotten vocal tonight. I don't think you really want to know actually. I think you'd rather it all went away."  
  
"I want answers."  
  
"Why? So you can stop me?" replied Ranma calmly.  
  
Nabiki stumbled back off her chair at the complete change in tone and mannerism in the boy. His gaze was cold and serious and his voice lowered very slightly. "What the?"  
  
"Would you really stop me from saving all humanity?"  
  
She quickly regained herself as she sat up. The girl found she couldn't look into his eyes at all. "You don't seem like the type."  
  
"You'd be surprised who'd save the world given the chance. Self preservation is a very powerful motivator."  
  
"That doesn't answer anything."  
  
"I'm giving you the chance to turn back, Nabiki Tendo."  
  
"What?" muttered the girl as she glanced towards his eyes for a moment. She found herself unable to look at him directly and turned towards the wall completely.  
  
"I'm giving you the chance to not learn the truth. Once you learn it, it can consume you completely."  
  
She stood up and kept her back to him. "Tell me. I'm tired of asking."  
  
"There is no good and evil."  
  
The girl was infuriated by that answer and turned to scream at him. She didn't even squeak when she saw him standing in front of her inches away from her face. He was wearing that cheerful mask again, seeming to take some sort of glee in her anger.  
  
"It's so much more complicated than that."  
  
"Stop playing with me."  
  
"Its called buildup," muttered Ranma as he gave a heavy sigh. "There are two forces that oppose each other in the universe."  
  
"What are they?"  
  
"Light and Darkness."  
  
"That's the same thing as..." started Nabiki.   
  
"Is it?" asked Ranma.   
  
"Yes."  
  
"Seems that way doesn't it?" said the boy as he stepped back and waved his arm. A small ball of light formed there. "Once, there was only darkness. All the gods and demons lived together in this darkness. Well, all the ones that weren't born after this. Anyway, the gods created something after an eternity in the darkness. Specifically, the Almighty did. He created anti darkness. They called it light."   
  
The girl simply rolled her eyes at this.  
  
Ranma simply grabbed the ball of light and it changed into a purple flame in his hand. "It was the biggest mistake the gods ever made."  
  
She was fairly interested into where this was going. "This had better be good."  
  
"Oh it is. You see demons opposed the light's existence. Think about a bunch of arguing scientists and you'll get what I mean. The Almighty was quite proud of his light, so he created hell and tossed those who oppose him into the abyss. It was a dimension of darkness, meant to appease them. They saw it as a prison. After a time, humanity was created. The demons escaped, and waged war with the gods. Eventually, the demons were pushed back into hell. The light of fire forever tormenting them as a reminder of their loss."  
  
Nabiki shuddered at this. She wasn't sure what to think at this point.  
  
Ranma continued and seemed to ignore her discomfort. "In the peace that followed, the gods created the Universe, and everything in it. Then they made their second biggest mistake."  
  
She didn't like this very much at all. Ranma was talking about some very spiritual and crazy things at the moment. He had to be out of his mind. "What was that?"  
  
"Humans of course. Creatures that are created within both light and darkness."  
  
The girl simply snorted. "You expect me to believe any of this?"  
  
"Perhaps." He replied. "Humans can wield both the powers of light and darkness. The gods saw us as a threat almost immediately. After quite a bit of deliberation, they decided to eradicate us by flooding the planet."  
  
The girl simply snorted. "That's some sort of western religion thing isn't it?"  
  
"Nice to finally know the reason isn't it?" said the boy cheerfully. "Anyway. The war with the demons was far from over. Their power still influences things in this world. Occasionally, a few of them escape into this world. Trying to weaken the light so they can eventually take back their universe. The Almighty saved us in the end."  
  
"What, he felt bad?"  
  
"No, because he saw us as potential weapons."  
  
"Humans?" grumbled Nabiki.  
  
Ranma raised his staff slightly and a small and rather impressive illusion appeared inside the orb latched into the top. It was little more than a slide show though and Nabiki found herself thinking it was a rather corny way of telling a story. Almost like something you'd see in a manga or something.   
  
"Not in the way you think. You see, humans can sway either way, light or darkness. They can be consumed completely by either. Most of them sway one way or the other, but there is still a balance of strength. The scales do not tip either way as of yet. The souls of humans contain quite a bit of light and darkness. They go where they're the most useful. Once freed from a body, it doesn't take much prodding to get a soul too completely change one way or the other."  
  
"What happens when they do?" asked Nabiki.  
  
"Heh. What indeed Nabiki Tendo?"  
  
"This is the biggest load of self important bullshit I've ever heard."  
  
"Really?" said Ranma as he stood up and walked towards the door.  
  
"You're not gonna get away with this. I'm going to find out what you're really doing here."  
  
"There is something you should know Nabiki Tendo."  
  
"What's that?"  
  
"Most humans have both light and darkness inside them. Imagine if you will, what someone could do if they mastered both."  
  
The girl stood wordlessly and simply frowned at him.  
  
"The gods see us as a threat Nabiki Tendo. They would see us destroyed as well. Your only choice, is who you die for."  
  
The girl simply watched him as he walked out the door.  
  
"Tell Akane to come inside. She's going to catch cold sitting outside the window like that."  
  
Nabiki turned and noticed the curtain flapping in the wind. Akane's voice cursed lightly as her sister poked her head out. "What are you doing here?"  
  
"I want to know what's going on as much as you do," replied the girl as she hung her head between her knees. She was sitting just outside the window on the roof.   
  
"Do you believe any of that?" asked Akane.  
  
"Of course not, he's gone insane. Now we have to figure out how to get rid of him."  
  
"I guess," muttered Akane. It was clear she was uncomfortable with her situation. "What should we do? I doubt if dad will throw him out. I could beat him to near death and I'd bet they'll still hang around."  
  
"I doubt if he'd let you," replied Nabiki. "Whatever it is he's got, it's driven him mad."  
  
The younger girl simply stood up and turned towards her room, leaving her sister staring out at the sky from her window. She'd never admit it, but Akane could tell she was pretty shaken. She wasn't sure if it was because she might have believed him a little or not. She wasn't even sure if she did herself or not yet.  
  
++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Ranma stood outside the doorway for a moment staring at it in silence. Soun and Genma were in bed, and Kasumi was just finishing up in the kitchen. He was alone for the moment and he smirked. "I wasn't going to drag you into this Nabiki Tendo, but now..." He turned towards his room and decided to go to sleep. "After all, tomorrow is another day."  
  
+++++++++++++++++  
  
Darkness, it was almost comforting to close his eyes and have it envelop him completely once. Now, there was no darkness, only a cold and focused stare. A heavy breath clouded out from his mouth as he stood overlooking the sprawling city below him.   
  
The moonlight shined down from above giving the snow an eerily blue tint. He stood about halfway up the side of the mountain on a small cliff watching the lights below for a time. He could still see it all, despite the fact that his eyes were closed.   
  
"Sight..." he muttered under his breath. "It wasn't worth the price."  
  
His lips turned down into a small frown as he continued to stare down at the city below with his eyes closed. He rarely opened them at all anymore, in fact, it was actually physically painful to open them in daylight, or even in a well-lit room. Still, perhaps that for the best. Some things were not meant to be seen by human eyes.  
  
The cold did not bother him at all it seemed. He stood against the chilling breeze as if it were the middle of spring. His eyes cracked open slightly as he watched the chill brush by him.   
  
"Soon I'll have my revenge. You cannot hide from my eyes demon."  
  
The irony did not escape him and he gave a humorless chuckle as he turned away from the homes and continued up the side of the mountain. He hefted his traveling bag onto his shoulder a bit more and began to trudge onward towards the peak. "I'll find you soon enough."  
  
"And then what?" asked a small voice in the back of his head. His frown deepened as he pushed through the snow.  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Ryoga Hibiki sat in the darkness brooding. He wasn't completely healed yet and picked mushrooms and various small plants out of his skin as he waited in the shadows of the small cave he'd crawled too as soon as he'd regained enough of his form to do so. It would probably take a few more days before he could walk among the humans again.  
  
He was tired of kidding himself. He wasn't a man anymore. He had to find his soul so that he could be invincible once again. As it was, he was vulnerable.  
  
"There has to be a way to find it. I've got to figure it out before Ranma realizes I've lost it. If he finds it first..."   
  
That was when he noticed the stench. Not the putrid bile of his still healing body, but something stronger, more potent. He slowly stood to his feet and frowned as he turned to look at the shadows behind him. "What do you want?"  
  
"Hibiki," said the voice from the darkness. He could barely make out the massive shadow that loomed over him. It was crouched down low in the cave it's horns barely touching the ceiling above it. "Saotome still lives."  
  
"You were useless, he had something better. Look what you've gotten me so far."  
  
"He must be destroyed, for all of our sakes."  
  
Ryoga chuckled, a few of his teeth clattered from his mouth and onto the ground. He was only mildly annoyed by this. They would grow back after all. "You seem awfully hot on this."  
  
"You have no idea. I think you'll be surprised when you find out just who wants that boy dead."  
  
"You can't seem to find him yourself though."  
  
"He can hide from us," replied the thing simply. "A direct attack against him would be unwise as well. You have nothing to fear from him though. Even he cannot kill you."  
  
Ryoga growled irritably at this, but remained silent.  
  
"Is there a problem?"  
  
"Nothing I can't handle," replied the walking corpse.  
  
The demon narrowed his eyes at this, but didn't press it. "Ranma Saotome seeks something, something we've been able to keep hidden from him so far. That will not last forever."  
  
"What do I care? I only want to give him what I owe him," snorted Ryoga. "What you do with him after that is your own business."  
  
"I assure you that we will take care of him when the time comes. We still cannot assault him directly. You must find a way to weaken him first."  
  
The corpse nodded his head, small tuffs of hair floated towards the ground as he sat back down. "You can't attack him yourself can you? He's got something that scares you, or keeps you away."  
  
"We fear nothing," snarled the beast coldly.  
  
"You need me, for now," replied Ryoga as he stared up at the thing. He felt no fear, even knowing what it was. In fact, it sort of gave him a small thrill, a tingling deep inside his body that he couldn't describe. "Without me..."  
  
"Don't be foolish, how difficult to you think it would be for us to replace you. You are vulnerable physically, but his magic cannot destroy you."  
  
"What about you? What sort of magic makes your kind fear him?"  
  
The thing didn't answer for a moment. "Good and evil," it said finally. "He possesses the secret of good and evil. That makes him infinitely more dangerous than you will ever realize. That alone is not enough to stop us though."  
  
The lost boy didn't know what to say to that. It was a cryptic response, and he knew that was no accident. This thing wanted to keep him in the dark, keep him away from some sort of power. That meant it was possible that he could harness this power for himself, and possibly use it against Ranma.  
  
The thing turned away from him and seemed to melt back into the darkness. "You seem to have a better idea what it is you are facing now boy. Go and finish what you've started."  
  
Ryoga looked down at himself and noticed that his body was healed once again. He clenched his fist and turned towards the cave entrance. With luck, he'd find Ranma again within a few days. However, he wasn't sure he wanted to find him just yet.  
  
He didn't use his head much. It wasn't really practical to think very often. He had enough strength that he could usually pound his way through anything that got in his way. This problem seemed to require a different approach though. He needed to find a way to gain the upper hand against Ranma. He needed to find out exactly what the boy was up to.  
  
Perhaps he should spend more time on tracking down his soul before he returned to face Ranma again. Still, he wasn't sure if it was his choice really. Eventually his curse would take him to the thing the boy had become. It was funny really, he of all people calling Ranma Saotome a 'thing'.  
  
He slowly shook his head and chuckled as he started towards what he thought was the exit to the cavern. It didn't really matter if it was or not. After all, it wasn't like he would run into anything that could kill him.  
  
++++++++++++++++  
  
Ranma was sitting at the table calmly early the next morning. He sipped at his tea and simply watched the yard as the Tendo Sisters went about their morning ritual around him. Something was off though, Kasumi was walking around, and he hadn't seen Akane rushing about. "Hmmmm. It's awfully quiet this morning."  
  
Genma hefted himself down at the end of the table and snorted. "So it is boy. I wonder what's going on?"  
  
"I think Akane is in the kitchen."  
  
"Maybe Kasumi isn't feeling well? Or maybe she just wanted a break this morning?"  
  
"Possible, but unlikely," said Ranma as he narrowed his eyes. He vanished from in front of his father.   
  
Genma didn't look particularly surprised or interested in that. The boy would find out what he needed to know and he probably wouldn't see him again until the evening. He picked up the tea his son had left behind and decided to watch the yard, his son seemed to enjoy doing it as well. He couldn't figure out why, but if he stared at it enough maybe he would figure it out.  
  
We all know what the chances of that are.  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Ranma appeared in the kitchen and sat down on the countertop as far away from Akane as he could. "Wow. That's a gigantic curse."  
  
Akane almost screamed and spun around with a butcher knife in her hand.  
  
The boy had his head ducked down just below where the knife had stuck into the cabinet behind his head. "Heh." He looked quite nervous for a brief moment.  
  
"What are you doing in here?"  
  
"I was wondering why everyone was being so quiet this morning. I haven't seen your father yet, and Kasumi and Nabiki haven't said a word since they woke up. Somehow you managed to wake up before me, that's not happened before. So you're making breakfast today?"  
  
"That's right, and it will be really good too!" snapped the girl indignantly.   
  
"Not if that curse has anything to say about it," replied the boy as he pointed at her.  
  
Akane simply stared at him for a very long moment. "What?"  
  
"You're cursed. I imagine you couldn't boil water if you wanted too. If you really work at it, you might be able to make one thing well. A concession to ensure you live to hate the curse. It's a really nasty one too."  
  
The girl was frozen with a wire whisk in her grip. Whatever was on the end oozed off in a huge glob and hit the floor. It made something of a thudding sound as it hit and promptly ate through the surface.  
  
Akane was staring at it in shock.  
  
"What were you making again?" asked Ranma cheerfully.  
  
"Pancakes."  
  
"Hmmm."  
  
"It's true isn't it?" she muttered in horror as she slowly stood up straight. The whisk was dropped to the floor, adding another large hole in Soun Tendo's kitchen.  
  
"I'm afraid so. I think I might be able to find out where it came from if you give me a second." He pulled a small yellow crystal out of his pocket and waved his hand over it once. It started to glow and he smiled to himself as he closed his eyes. "Hmmm. This is odd. It seems like it happened to you in... Second grade?"  
  
"A little girl got lucky and worded a hex correctly while performing the correct hand signals. Apparently she was upset about you beating up her older brother? A complete and total coincidence, how unusual."  
  
"No," muttered the girl. "Can you...?"  
  
"Me? Lift a curse like that? I'm afraid not, it was something of a personal curse."  
  
"There has to be a way!"  
  
"That's something you have to figure out on your own. It's a personality thing, as long as you keep accumulating the right sort of karma, and you'll keep the curse. You must find the right balance to destroy it."  
  
"What?" The girl growled and started to roll up her sleeves.   
  
"Don't get mad at me because of the complications of your curse. My father is taking his remarkably well. At least you're still human."  
  
The girl paused and glared at him. "I...I'll never learn to cook?"  
  
"Hmmm," replied the boy with a shrug. "It's possible for you to learn to make one thing well. You'd better pick something you like, because you'll be eating a lot of it. Don't think it will be easy though."  
  
The girl hung her head, tears rolled down her cheeks. "What about that other thing you said? Karma?"  
  
"Something about you offended that girl. It was strong enough for such a simple curse to latch onto easily. Whatever that girl had against you, she was right. However, somewhere, while you bear this curse, a girl who used to be in Akane Tendo's class is suffering even more. Casting a curse on someone is tricky, there is always backlash. With this kind of curse, the price is extremely high. Her suffering is probably different from yours though. I'd wager three times, that's the usual amount."  
  
The girl was looking at him in horror. "What?"  
  
"To put it simply. To stop your suffering, and hers, you must unlearn what you have learned."  
  
"What does that mean?" growled the girl as she clutched the countertop firmly.  
  
"There are rules to this sort of transaction Akane. I'm not stupid enough to break them and end up tangled in this web. You'll have to find the answers to that yourself. Otherwise you're missing the point entirely."  
  
"Transaction?" muttered the girl.  
  
"You owe me a favor," replied the boy calmly. "A rather large one." Akane was starting to look like she didn't like the sound of that. "Don't worry I'm well aware that it's not too valuable to you. Sooner or later I might need something from you though. I'll be most appreciative if you'd accommodate me. It's sort of tradition with this kind of deal. Magic users and such prefer favors over most other forms of payment. I'm afraid the monetary side of this is a bit beyond you anyway."  
  
"You're charging me?" muttered the girl dumbly. "You're worse than Nabiki."  
  
"Perhaps. I could force you to be my personal servant for a year or so you know. I'm being polite."  
  
"I didn't ask for..." stammered the girl as she backed away.  
  
"I know. You did, however, accept my consultation."  
  
"You didn't tell me..."  
  
"That would have depreciated the value of the consultation. Akane, you are dealing with a curse here after all. Don't blame me because there are rules attached to this sort of thing. It was intended to build relationships as I recall."  
  
"What rules!?" cried the girl angrily.  
  
"Do you really want to know? I've got a few books upstairs that explain it all. Shouldn't take you more than a month to bone up so to speak." The boy leaned onto the counter with his chin cupped in his palm.  
  
"Not that badly. One favor, and you'd better not abuse it."  
  
"Akane, I take what I do very seriously," replied the boy with a cheerful looking grin on his face. It didn't look much like he meant it.  
  
She had a very bad feeling he wasn't kidding though.  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Nabiki glared at the boy who stood before her. He had his finger in his ear and was twisting it idly while he waited by the door. "Hello. Would it be better if we talked on the way to school, or if we sat down somewhere?"  
  
The girl narrowed her eyes and slowly turned her head towards him. "We'll find a place to sit."  
  
"Very well then. After you."  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
He sat across from her calmly inside a small café that was only a little off their route to the school.  
  
"Why did you call me here?"  
  
"Why indeed? You have accounting irregularities."  
  
"What?" said the girl dumbly.  
  
"Here. If you'll notice, Tagura's earnings rate has been dropping, but in oddly even increments. A few hundred at first, but it stayed about the same for a time, then it moved up to a thousand or two. Later, it jumped a bit more. Still, her cut seems to remain the same. Either she's skimming, and you'll be glad I'm telling you. Whether you admit that or not is another matter. Then there's the second option."  
  
"What's that?"  
  
"You're paying her to keep something out of sight so to speak."  
  
"Something?"  
  
"I mean it in a broad sense. Could be something you did, some sort of proof."  
  
"She's one of my top earners."  
  
"At what exactly?" replied the boy as he leaned back in his chair.  
  
"You've been through my records. You tell me."  
  
"I'm starting to like you Nabiki Tendo."  
  
"I'll have to do something about that later. Right now, tell me what you want."  
  
"If it's blackmail you're worried about, I've got no real interest in money. I can however be very useful to an enterprising young woman if I choose to be."  
  
"What do you want from me?" she insisted. She didn't like this one bit.  
  
"What I want from you at the moment is nothing. I haven't done anything useful yet. However, when I do decide to give you a little advice I'd like you to remember it. I'm not talking about money either."  
  
"That's disgusting!"  
  
The boy blushed and scratched his head. "I didn't mean that either. Look, I'm talking about something a bit different than a business relationship, but fundamentally the same."  
  
"Explain it too me."  
  
"I'll make you lots of money, you owe me a favor or two along the way. You never know when something like that might be useful."  
  
"What kind of favor?"  
  
"Access to information, contacts I can get through you. I can tell you about people that your friends might like to know."  
  
"Are you crazy? I don't need to expand. I'm not fool enough to step on the Yakuza's toes!"  
  
"I'm not talking about those kinds of relationships."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Doing something like this is about power and influence. I expect you'll go far in this world, and you'll meet a lot of important people. Most of them you'll hate behind your fake smile. The powerful really are disgusting people."  
  
"Yes. I can tell."  
  
"Thank you," replied the boy as he gave her a small nod. "It's not like I'm asking for your soul or anything."  
  
"I've got to think about this," she replied coldly as she stood up.  
  
"Now or never, Nabiki Tendo. This is a one time offer, and if you refuse, you won't get offered again."  
  
The girl growled as she turned to stare at the boy. "Fine then. I accept."  
  
"I bet you think I wasn't expecting that. You've still got a long way to go, Nabiki Tendo." She walked away and went out the door while he simply sat smirking to himself. After a moment he stood up and placed a few coins on the table.   
  
+++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Ranma didn't go to the school. He went back to the dojo and walked through the gate calmly.   
  
Genma and Soun were playing shogi on the porch and Kasumi was in the kitchen. She'd managed to clean up Akane's mess and was starting on lunch apparently.   
  
He paused by the kitchen door to glare at her for a moment in silence. A light smirk formed on his face as she suddenly winced in pain. She was cutting vegetables and quickly dropped the knife and grabbed her index finger.   
  
"Ouch. Oh no," she muttered as she turned and walked to get a paper towel to bandage the wound until she could find a bandage for it.   
  
Ranma's eyes narrowed as she reached the paper towel dispenser and let go of her fingers.   
  
"Huh? I was sure I..." said the girl as she looked at her hand in wonder.  
  
"So. Spillover already?" he muttered under his breath. "This one bears watching though."  
  
He turned away unnoticed and walked into the living room.  
  
Soun and Genma both looked up at him.  
  
"What are you doing home boy?" snapped Genma.  
  
"I've got something to take care of upstairs. Don't bother me," he replied as he walked up the stairs and ignored them.  
  
Genma calmed considerably and merely settled on a distasteful stare.   
  
"Saotome?" muttered Soun in confusion.  
  
"The boy is going to be upstairs with those books of his for a while. He's got hundreds of them. It's about the same as sending him to school anyway."  
  
"Oh. I see," replied Soun as he nodded slowly.   
  
"My son won't slack on his studies Tendo. I don't understand, but he hates it when there's something he doesn't know."  
  
"How odd," said Soun curiously.  
  
"Indeed," agreed Genma.  
  
++++++++++++++++++  
  
Ranma was sitting at the table when Akane and Nabiki walked into the room and looked at him.  
  
"Where the hell were you all day?" snapped Akane angrily.  
  
"Yes. Please tell," muttered Nabiki. It was obvious she was just going through the motions of conversation. She really wasn't expecting an answer.  
  
"Oh. I just noticed Kasumi heal her own finger with a small spell before school today. I spent most of the day checking up on that. I'm quite pleased, my plans are going well. Oh, we'll probably be getting a new visitor in a day or so. I've got a meeting with him later."  
  
Both girls were staring at him dumbly. Ranma seemed quite pleased with himself overall and ignored them.  
  
"Say what?" stammered Nabiki.  
  
"I really don't like to repeat myself. I'm afraid you'll just have to remember on your own."  
  
Akane simply walked away. She was still mad, but had no idea how to argue with what he said. "Wait a minute! Kasumi!!??"  
  
"Yes. If properly trained she'd be a most powerful priestess. I'm actually quite surprised about that myself. I've never seen someone so rooted in the light, and frankly I find it a bit unsettling. Still, I guess it makes understanding Tofu's problem a little easier. My recommendation should be quite helpful."  
  
"What recommendation?" snapped Nabiki as she glared at the boy.  
  
"I'm afraid that's confidential. Call it privileged information if you like." The boy picked up a small cup of tea and sipped it lazily. "Some new force is at work in the world. It's very exciting."   
  
Akane's face was one of frustration. He didn't look excited about much of anything at the moment. "What are you talking about?"  
  
Nabiki was trying her best to keep a level head about herself. Kasumi could do magic? That was new on her, but she doubted if he was lying. Still, Akane was getting frustrated and loud. "What was this about a visitor."  
  
"I'm afraid you'll just have to wait and see."  
  
"Right," grumbled the girl as she turned away. She could take a hint, he'd told them what he wanted them to hear and would simply give annoyingly vague and cryptic answers from that point on.  
  
"You still haven't answered me!"  
  
"Your sister seems to catch on faster than you do." The boy sipped at his tea and kept watching the yard in silence.  
  
The girl popped her knuckles and growled at him angrily. "Fine." She stomped away and towards the dojo.  
  
"I'll have to ask Soun how he deals with so much broken building material. Akane goes through quite a bit in the dojo."   
  
+++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Just because he could see somewhere, didn't mean he could reach it easily or quickly. He'd had to learn a lot about patience just to keep his sanity. He was hiking down the side of a mountain with a traveling bag slung over his shoulder. His eyes were closed, but no detail went unnoticed.  
  
He paused and turned slowly towards what was behind him. A cavern, a dark cave seemed to have been ripped into the side of the mountain. There was no light inside the cave, but he didn't need light to see. "So. I find you at last."  
  
"Why do you seek me out boy?" asked the booming voice from within the cave.  
  
"You know why."  
  
"You are not happy? I gave you what you asked for boy. There is no one to blame but yourself."  
  
"You deceived me!" snarled the angry boy as he clenched his fists tightly.  
  
"What did you expect?" chuckled the voice in the darkness. "You've gained so much, more than even you realize. Yet you still hate me enough to seek me out for what I've done? That's very interesting indeed. Tell me Mousse, was she everything you hoped she'd be when you saw her?"  
  
"I..."  
  
"All I did was open your eyes boy."  
  
"You've done much more than that to me," retorted Mousse.  
  
"You're right. Perhaps...I can take back what I've done. If you could do one thing for me."  
  
The boy gasped as he stepped back. "What?"  
  
"I can give you the eyes you once had again if you wish. However, there is one thing I'd like for you to do first. Do not forget that you asked for what you received boy."  
  
Mousse hung his head and turned his face away. "That doesn't excuse..."  
  
"Do you wish to accept my offer?"  
  
"What do you want?"  
  
"If you kill Ryoga Hibiki, I will give you back your old eyes." Ranma walked out of the cavern with a smirk on his face.  
  
"You!" gasped Mousse as he finally recognized the boy in front of him for some reason.  
  
"Yes. Me."  
  
"But you were..."   
  
"Lucky enough to be in the right time at the right place. I did what you asked of me while I was in your land. It's insulting to think you'd be offended really."  
  
"But how can you be?" stammered Mousse in horror.   
  
"What? The thing that gave you those wonderful eyes? I'm surprised you're not pleased with them. After all, they are so much more than you're used too."  
  
"I was treated worse than before! You turned me into a freak!" His eyes looked almost completely black as he stared at the evil thing in front of him. "I saw things, things no man should see!"  
  
"As I've said before. You got what you asked for, and I did warn you there would be a price."  
  
"You want me to kill someone?"  
  
"Yes. I imagine this task will keep you busy for some time. It's much more difficult than you think."  
  
"You lied to us! You said you were some sort of..." The boy snorted. "Of course you'd lie. Who am I kidding?"  
  
"I've never lied to you boy. Don't be silly. The truth is so much more fun. Besides, I do hunt demons. I am Ranma Saotome, otherwise known as 'The Eater of Demons'."  
  
"What?" gasped the boy in shock.  
  
"Those monsters you detest so much are my food. So I'm sure we'll get along just fine."  
  
Mousse simply glanced at the town that was still in the distance. If nothing else Ranma had saved him the rest of the walk that evening by coming to him. He turned his head back towards the boy and found he was gone. "It figures." With a small sigh he turned away from the cave. Ranma wasn't the only thing hidden deep within the darkness of that cavern.  
  
++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Ranma Saotome smiled as he walked into the darkness. "What have we here?"  
  
The tip of his staff lit up and cast a white glow on the walls around him. He glanced down at the ground and noticed a set of footprints moving towards the cave exit in the dirt. Several dirty bandannas littered the ground around a chair-sized boulder.   
  
"Hibiki was shacking up here. Probably so he could heal a bit in privacy."   
  
He turned to peer further into the darkness. "Oh, but there's more."  
  
The light of his staff cast long shadows into the cavern. He kept moving ahead at a steady pace, hoping something evil and horrible would jump out and try to surprise him.  
  
He wasn't very surprised when that didn't happen. He did however reach what appeared to be a stone doorway. There were intricate carvings woven across the slab. Snakes and a particularly large and vicious looking goat's head adorned the crest that seemed to seal the door shut.  
  
"Hmmm. Most intimidating indeed." He placed his hand on the door and closed his eyes completely. "Heh. It seems I don't really need to open this door to find you do I?"  
  
A huge black thing loomed over him just behind his back. It towered twenty feet in height and had skin that seemed to be made out of shadows. Its horns crested down in front of its face over the gaping maw of long sharp fangs. It hissed at him angrily and flapped the wings on its back in rage. "What do you seek here?!"  
  
The boy's face was actually quite cheerful as he turned to face it. "Why you of course. I should have followed Hibiki more carefully. Very interesting indeed."  
  
"What?" snarled the thing. "You!" Recognition hit the thing in an instant. None of his kind that had faced the monster before him had lived yet. However, nothing like it had ever faced Ranma.   
  
"Heh. I hope you're not thinking that you're going to win human. My minions were nothing to my power. I'm going to enjoy ripping you apart for eternity!"  
  
The boy merely smirked. "I'm afraid you're mistaken. You see...I've already won."  
  
"Eh?" muttered the thing as the boy vanished from in front of its eyes. "What? How?"  
  
"You see, those minions of yours are mine now. All their power belongs to me. As does yours."  
  
A pair of yellow eyes peered out of the darkness the boy's disappearance had caused. Just behind those eyes, two more much larger eyes loomed ominously, followed by dozens of smaller eyes from all around the largest pair.  
  
The inhuman scream of pain that quickly followed echoed in the darkness repeatedly. Finally, the sound stopped and there was silence.  
  
An explosion of light filled the cavern as thousands of tiny faint blue lights seemed to fill the air.  
  
Ranma Saotome was standing in the middle of it all with a satisfied looking grin on his face. "Heh. Not bad."  
  
He raised his staff into the air and the runes along its length began to glow. "This was a big one, but I'll wager he was working for someone else still. The biggest I've seen yet, and still not much to deal with. I shouldn't let that go to my head, but it's so hard to resist."  
  
Almost as if to punctuate those words the balls of light shot together into the center of the room in a ball that quickly turned into a bright glowing ball of energy.  
  
"What the?" muttered Ranma as he narrowed his eyes at it.   
  
Without a sound, the light shot forward slamming into Ranma Saotome's chest. He was thrown across the ground violently and landed on his back. His hands felt about the area around him as he grabbed for anything he could. His eyes were closed and he was gasping for breath as he struggled on the ground. Finally he stopped and lay still in the darkness.  
  
+++++++++++++++++++  
  
"Where is that boy?" grumbled Genma as he sat with Soun at the Tendo household.   
  
"He's still not back yet? It's almost time for school to begin," muttered Soun as he looked at his watch.  
  
None of his daughters seemed particularly concerned as they went through the usual morning routine.   
  
"I'll start looking for him if he's not back by lunch. It's probably nothing really," said Genma with a small shrug.   
  
"I suppose you are right, Saotome," agreed the man with a short nod. "Still, it would be wise to speak with him about staying out this way. I wouldn't want him to worry my daughter after they are married. He should have mentioned something if he knew he'd be gone this long."  
  
"Maybe he didn't?" commented Nabiki dryly as she stood behind the pair. "Akane and I are going to school whether he's here or not."  
  
"Nabiki? Are you seeing this?"   
  
Everyone turned to look at Akane. She was simply staring at the yard dumbly.  
  
"What..." Any further speech was cut off abruptly as Nabiki realized what her sister was looking at.  
  
Kasumi was standing in the yard with birds on her shoulders and head. She was humming cheerfully as she hung the laundry to dry. A light breeze was blowing at just the right angle for the job too. She was humming cheerfully as she pinned a sheet to the line and moved onto the next item.   
  
"Kasumi?" muttered Nabiki as she stepped forward.  
  
"Hmmm?" asked the girl as she turned to look at her sister with a smile on her face.  
  
The older girl's eyes were different. Her eyes had changed color and were now a light gray in color. Nabiki felt better just because the girl was looking at her. She shook her head and stepped back slightly. "It's nothing. You just seem...different today."  
  
"Oh. Why thank you Nabiki," replied Kasumi as she went back to her work.  
  
"What's going on?" muttered Akane. She turned towards her sister and put her hand on the wooden support closest to her to steady her balance for a moment.  
  
"I'm not sure. I think Ranma has something to do with it though," commented Nabiki reluctantly.  
  
"Ranma? Are you sure?" asked Akane. She was looking at her sister as if she was crazy.   
  
"I think whatever was happening to her just got a big boost. It seems to fit the sort of thing he was talking about. We should start looking into what he's doing more carefully. This could be dangerous."  
  
The youngest sibling looked absolutely confused, but nodded anyway. "I'm not sure what you mean, but all right."  
  
"That's the problem, Akane. I'm not even sure I know what I mean. Ranma isn't something we can just ignore and hope he goes away on his own. This is serious, and it's starting to effect us directly."  
  
The younger girl simply nodded again with a bit more certainty. She turned to follow her sister out the door.   
  
Neither one of them noticed that the wood on the support had a smoking black handprint on it now.  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Evil of evil that I am...   
  
TBC...  
  
Next time: The Awakening. 


	8. Chapter 8

Ranma: Mazoku Factor

Part 8

The Awakening.

OooOOooOO

Ranma Saotome rose from the ground. His arms shook as he lifted his torso up and frowned. "That was...interesting." He flipped his hand over in front of his face a few times as he shoved himself onto his rear. He used the staff to push himself off the ground as he looked around in the darkness. He didn't need to illuminate his staff to see. He turned to look at the doorway behind him and smirked. "So, you were guarding this were you? I wonder what's inside?"

The doorway shifted as he opened his palm and touched the center of the intricate carvings that covered it. Serpents curled around the frame, and the door had a carving of an angel and a demon standing on either side of a round stone with some sort of light shooting from it. The angel was on the right, the demon on the left. It split apart in the middle and he stepped back as it opened into a small chamber.

"Well, what have we here?" He stepped into the room and smirked as he saw a round stone in the middle of an empty room. It looked almost like a small stone table, but there were carvings of ancient runic characters etched over every surface. His grin grew wild as his eyes went wide. "Heh. I can't believe I found it so quickly." He seemed quite pleased with himself as he raised his staff over the stone and closed his eyes. "So, now the game begins." A loud crack could be heard in the darkness of the cavern. The thing's lips turned up at the sound as his face became bathed in light. He felt a powerful wave of something shoot through his body.

OooOOooOO

Akane Tendo frowned as Tatewaki Kuno stood in front of her with his blade held before him. "How does the day greet you, Akane Tendo?"

The girl was standing amidst the remains of her usual morning routine. The male populace of Furinkan groaned as it attempted to crawl to safer ground. She narrowed her eyes at him and cracked her knuckles. The mess was all his fault, and she was feeling more frustrated than usual by their new house guest. "I've had better."

"It saddens me to hear such things. Come, I shall lift your spirits this very day! On the event of your defeat, weep with joy, Akane Tendo, for I shall date with you!" He shifted and prepared to charge her.

"I've had enough of you!" The girl screamed the words and pointed her finger at him. She felt something hit her like a wave in the air. After it passed, she felt something new. A build up of something very, hot.

The students backed away from Akane Tendo rather quickly after she pointed at Kuno and made her declaration. A half second later it seemed as if some sort of wind had been kicked up under her feet. Her hair blew about her face wildly as she glared at the object of her current anger. She hung her head a bit and started muttering something under her breath. She wasn't sure where it was coming from, but she didn't stop. Her anger overshadowed her confusion as she focused on the boy rushing towards her.

"Get out of my way." A ball of fire about as big around as he was shot towards Tatewaki Kuno and slammed into him head on. It exploded and engulfed him in flames. It only took a few moments for the flames to die down. He was standing with a charred hunk of wooden sword in his grip with his eyes wide. He was singed all over and his hair was sticking back and smoldering a little. What was left of his Kendo uniform was smoking with rings of bright orange around most of the many new holes. He was still decent and didn't look to be speaking anytime soon.

"Holy shit!" A lone male voice was able to utter behind her.

She turned to frown at the boys that were standing around staring at her. "You'd better remember that. Leave me alone." She turned and moved back towards the gate towards home while looking at her hand. "How the hell did I do that? Can I do it again? I'll bet Ranma had something to do with this." She didn't seem all that upset about it as she left the grounds and started walking down the street towards her home.

Nabiki was just on her heels and rushed up to her side. "What the hell did you do?"

"I'm not sure." She brushed back her hair and looked thoughtful. "I think something has happened."

"No kidding!" Nabiki looked somewhat annoyed with her sister. "We need to find him."

"No kidding." Ranma spoke up from behind them in his usual cheerful and uninterested tone.

Both girls gasped and whirled around. He was leaning against a fence just beside them along the sidewalk with his arms crossed. He was looking at the ground as if they'd almost walked by him without noticing.

Akane growled at him and pointed her finger. "Don't do that!"

Ranma was at her side before she fried a length of chain link fence. The metal was glowing orange in a rather large circle. "Okay. I lied. I do have a thing about teaching flat chested tomboys how to throw fireballs."

Both of the girls were facing him again, but Akane didn't try to attack.

"At any rate. I imagine you two wish to speak with me?"

"Where have you been?" Nabiki glared at him and tapped her foot on the ground while crossing her arms.

"It's a secret." He seemed to be his usual self.

"What did you do to me?" Akane didn't sound very angry, though it was clear she wanted to make him think it.

"Nothing. It's just your natural talent for that kind of magic showing itself. Kasumi is the same way." He shrugged his shoulders.

"Why?" Nabiki hadn't moved yet and seemed a bit more impatient with each passing second.

"Magic?" Akane was more than a little surprised.

"Yes." Ranma seemed to be losing interest in the conversation. "You'll be noticing that sort of thing from now on."

"How are you doing this?" The elder sister looked about ready to grab him.

He simply sighed. "I'm not that strong you know. That power isn't coming from me."

"Then where?" Nabiki grabbed his shoulder and forced him to face her.

"Why?" The pigtailed boy seemed more amused than anything. The girl's younger sister was getting more and more relaxed.

Akane stood watching the pair argue and stepped forward. "I want to know too."

Ranma shrugged his shoulders. "I can't really give you directions. You'll have to use what you've got to find it. I think it'd be good for both of you. If you go, take Kasumi with you. You'll need her."

"What?" was the stereo reply.

"How are we supposed to do that?" Akane seemed more irate than ever.

"You don't have to leave right now you know. You've got plenty of time, and you'll be going sooner or later I imagine. Something is stirring, and it will require the attention of someone just like you." He was looking directly at Akane as he said this.

"Me?" She blinked and her head cocked back.

"You'll be needing both your sisters, actually. I wouldn't turn down any help you're offered. It'll be a more difficult journey than you think."

Nabiki didn't look pleased. "He's using us. He has been from the start. I don't know what this is about, but I'll bet he's behind it."

Akane frowned at her and nodded.

The boy just sighed. "You don't really have much choice I'm afraid. You'll be going one way or another. I wouldn't worry about it just yet. It's not time."

"What the hell are you babbling about?" growled the older girl. "I'm getting tired of this cryptic crap. You'd better give me a straight answer."

"Once you start this journey, there is no going back." He smirked and turned away from her. "I'll see you later this evening. I'm afraid I've got business to attend at the moment."

OooOOooOO

Ryoga Hibiki frowned as he glared out across the Japanese wilderness. "Now where am I?" He continued his trek watching the woods around him with only passing interest. He paused for a moment and cocked his head. "Who's there?"

"I should have known you'd spot me. He said it'd be difficult." The voice was difficult to place, but he could hear it well.

Ryoga couldn't see anyone, but he could tell whoever it was had a slight accent. "Come out where I can see you. What do you want?"

"Your life." The noise was to his left, but the lost boy, true to his name was searching the right side.

"Come and claim it then." The immortal smirked as he tossed his traveling bag aside.

"You're a strange one, no light within you. Guess I don't have to feel bad then."

Ryoga gasped as dozens of blades shot out of the shadows in the woods around him. He fell into several distinct pieces that sprayed the surrounding area with blood. After the pieces died down Mousse jumped down and stared at them from the tree's above. "That was easy. A little too easy." He turned and walked away from the hollow body. He glanced back over his shoulder and frowned. "I get the feeling there's something more to this." As far as he knew, he just murdered a dead body. Nothing had come out, and he hadn't seen anything inside his target. "I just have to find that demon again."

OooOOooOO

Ranma was leaning against a brick wall in an alleyway. He had a sardonic smile on his lips as he looked out from under his bangs at the figure approaching him.

"I've done your dirty work. Now, your end..." Mousse seemed confident as he walked up with his hands in the sleeves of his robes.

The monster chuckled. "You think you've killed Ryoga Hibiki?"

"I cut him into about six pieces. He's dead." The Chinese national seemed irate.

Ranma wasn't worried. "I'm afraid it's not that simple. Hibiki is immortal, he was probably up and walking around within hours of your rather pathetic attempt on his life." He pushed himself off the wall and sighed. "Let's take a walk."

"How do you expect me to kill him then?" Mousse was very angry as he watched the monster stroll by him. He was clenching his fists in rage. Ranma was moving off into the street on a somewhat busy business district and the Chinese boy rushed up to his side. "Where are we going? Why didn't you tell me about this before?"

"Where's the fun in that?" Ranma noted a small yakitori stand had gotten Mousse's attention for a moment and he walked over.

The Chinese boy didn't dare touch the creature as it set about buying a stick of beef with a very large bill. The vendor frowned and started to count out the change. Ranma turned away from the stand after sliding a single coin out of the pile the man was counting out.

Mousse was frustrated, but not dumb enough to try and take it out on the being in front of him. He could see what it looked like. "You're using me."

"Yes. I thought you were aware of that when this started. I'm afraid you'll have to be a bit more creative in dealing with Hibiki. I'm not the type who would torment you with something that can't be done, don't worry. I'll have to hang around for a few hundred years at least before I get that bored."

The Chinese boy looked a little relieved. "How do I kill him?"

"You just did." Ranma handed him the coin he'd taken from the vendor and smiled. The boy's eyes went wide as he realized something was different about it.

"What did you...?" Mousse looked a bit like he didn't really want to know.

"I needed your eyes. Hibiki won't die, and I'm afraid he may have a bit of a grudge against you now. Shouldn't be too bad though. At any rate, you've satisfied your end as far as I'm concerned." Ranma put his palm against the boy's head and moved it down his face, passing it over the coin in the boy's open palm as he pulled his hand back. The monster tossed his glasses aside after he did it and smiled.

Mousse stared at him a little slack jawed as he glanced back at the vendor behind him. "What happened just now? What was that thing you took out of that coin? It looked like..."

"The soul of the man you just killed. Yes." Ranma nodded and shrugged his shoulders. "He was abusing it anyway. I'm sure I can find a use for him."

"It's none of my concern." Mousse took a step back. He was just starting to realize that his position was favorable.

"I'd recommend going home. Hibiki will not be pleased with you if he ever meets you again." Ranma glanced over his shoulder at him as he turned to walk away.

"I don't think I can go back. You fixed my eyes, but I will always hate you. You destroyed everything." Mousse hung his head as bitter tears fell down his cheeks. "They aren't likely to welcome me home."

"Come now. Can you really hate me for getting you out of that? I mean, think about it." Ranma looked a little miffed at the implication. "I've been rather kind to you as things go."

The boy was shaking, with both of his fists clenched at his sides and his head held low. "I loved her. You destroyed that."

"Did I really?" Ranma seemed to think about it as he started walking away. "I suppose you could look at it that way if you wish. My business with you is finished I'm afraid." He chuckled to himself as he walked away and shook his head. "So much for Ryoga Hibiki. Heh."

OooOOooOO

"Hey Kasumi." Akane sat down next to her surprised looking sister.

"Akane! Oh my. Why aren't you in school? Are you feeling well?" She seemed to calm a bit as she realized Nabiki had sat down on her other side.

The middle sister looked a little dazed. "What the hell?"

Akane was pretty cheerful about the whole affair. "I'm fine, but I've learned I have magic powers. I set Kuno on fire before school started today. I should probably stay home. I want to write down what I have to say to get it to work so I don't forget."

Nabiki turned her eyes towards her sister. "Say?"

"Yeah. I point my hand and say 'East winds that blow beyond western sands, let your power gather in my hand and..." She held her palm out and a ball of fire burst to life above her fingers. "I'm not sure how I know that."

"Ranma. I'm sure he's got something to do with it." Nabiki stood up and walked out into the yard.

"Oh my! That looks dangerous!" Kasumi looked shocked and worried about her sister. "Nabiki? Are you all right?"

"...let your power gather in my hand!" The older girl pointed her palm at a brick her sister had set up for her next practice. She fell on her rear and squeaked in surprise as a small ball of fire erupted from her hand and shattered the brick and singed anything within four feet of the spot.

"Cool." Akane was rushing up to her side. "You can do it too then?"

Nabiki was still gasping and looking at the still burning debris with wide eyes. "Holy..."

"Wasn't as big as mine was. I wonder why?" Akane looked a bit surprised.

"She's not as suited to that kind of magic as you are." Ranma was sitting at the end of the table with his chin in his palm watching the three girls on the porch.

Kasumi gave a frightened squeak as she started and whirled around. Her eye twitched a little as she calmed herself down a bit. "I suppose everyone is staying home today?"

"I suppose so. Her talents are less obvious, I've not figured it out myself yet." Ranma smiled at her and nodded. "I feel I should add, I'm not the one doing this. I'm flattered, but I'm not quite so powerful."

"How then?" Nabiki slapped her palms on the table and leaned towards him.

"There's more Mana available for some reason. Something has changed, and it may not be a good thing. I've a feeling we'll all be dealing with it in our own way soon. It's not something we can let lie very long I'd wager."

Kasumi had her eyebrows scrunched up and her finger to the corner of her lip. "I'm confused."

"So are we." Akane narrowed her eyes at the boy and sat down at the table again.

"Yes, well, things are going to change more than you expect very soon. Something is going on, and your new talent is just the beginning." Ranma turned away and looked out towards the yard.

"Why am I getting the vibe you're not telling us everything you know about this?" Nabiki was clenching a paper napkin in her hand very tight.

"Because I'm not. I'm not really obligated to inform you of anything. I just thought it'd be nice to have a little talk." He shrugged and stood up walking out into the yard and away from the scene.

"Oh my. I don't like the way that sounds. Do we have to go somewhere?" Kasumi seemed concerned and confused. It made her feel a bit better that her sisters seemed the same.

Akane glanced at her and gave a small grin. "Well, we'll be going together at least. I can keep us safe."

"So it would seem." Nabiki seemed to only be paying half attention to the conversation. "What sort of power suits me then I wonder?" She shook her head and glanced at her sisters. "We've got to figure out what he's doing. He's not hiding the fact he's tied us up in something. I don't think that's a good thing."

Her younger sister grinned. "Maybe, but it's hasn't been all that bad so far. I don't trust him either, but I'm not so sure I'll be sorry he showed up when it's all over."

OooOOooOO

"Oh, good morning..." Ranma ducked his head as a wooden blade sliced through the air. "Is this about Akane again? I thought we'd talked about that. I'm sort of attached to her sister." He was walking by the large tree in the courtyard.

"Fiend! At last I have discovered your fiendish plot to destroy Akane Tendo forever!" The boy posed with his blade on his shoulder and pointed at the younger student with his finger.

"Hmmm. I'm not recalling that one." The boy's cape fluttered a bit as he lifted his shoulders and gave the older boy a rather blank expression. "Maybe I've just forgotten. Quite a few things going right now. Could you remind me? I might be more apt to defend it if I'm sure you're really foiling one of them."

"Very well! You intend to turn the beautious Akane Tendo, into..." The older boy whipped something from his robes and pointed it at the girl in question. Nabiki and Akane were looking on just behind the exchange and caught most of it. "A rough necked, man hating, greedy, violent, flat chested, self serving, shrew!" In his hand was a volume of manga, a young smiling redhead adorned the cover dressed in a cape, yellow shirt, tight pants, and sword. "The mighty Tatewaki Kuno's perfect hearing and memory recalls well the love poem my beloved Akane Tendo spoke unto me from this very volume!"

A complete dead silence covered the grounds.

"Wh-what? L-love poem?" Akane's eyes were wide, and the corner of her mouth was twitching.

"What makes you think I had anything to do with that?" The ponytailed wizard scratched the side of his head and looked confused.

Akane took a step forward, with her head hanging down and her arms limp.

"Come on Kuno! She's always been like that!" One of the boys out of sight in the crowd called out.

"Yeah! It's really hot!" A boy from the Karate club agreed.

"If her sister was a tomboy too, we'd be in heaven already!" Another boy, dressed as a hockey goalie nodded in agreement.

"Tell me about it! Screw personality, I'd put up with anything for that!"

Akane stood with her head hung low and her shoulders were shaking. The vast majority of boys in the school were coming to Ranma's defense.

No one noticed Ranma was nowhere to be seen.

Nabiki looked horrified and disgusted. "You jerks! This is exactly what keeps you idiots from getting laid!" Akane broke out of her state and looked back with surprise. "I don't believe this! Akane is used to this crap, but you'd think I'd put up with it too? The nerve!" She stomped her foot on the ground and columns of dirt, rocks, and grass shot up from the ground from the boys who had dared speak against her.

"Hey!" Snapped Akane, but she was cut off as her sister's magic threw a fit.

The older girl's eyes were closed and she waved her arms while whispering something under her breath. She finished as the last boy was tossed into the air and collapsed onto her knees right after. The courtyard to Furinkan looked like an ancient ruin and a barren forest at the same time. "Whoa!" Two very tall ones were in Kuno's former location, and she was panting right in front of them. "That took a lot out of me."

"Are you all right?" Akane rushed over to her side and slid to her knees next to her. "Nabiki?"

"I'm fine." The girl twisted onto her rear and sat down. "I feel winded though. Like when Daddy used to make me practice." She flipped the manga around in her hands and thumbed through it. "What the heck is this anyway?" She stood up and leaned on her sister. "Come on."

"What? You need to rest!" Akane was fretting and glancing over her shoulder. "We really can't miss school again, but..."

"We're not going!" Her older sister pushed her off and reached into a nearby bush. The rest of the students were filing into the building behind them. "Gosunkugi? What can you tell me about this?"

"Y-you know me?" The boy swallowed and held a camera between his face and the older girl's.

"Shut up. I know everyone. Out of all the dorky, so not going to get laid, otaku nerd types. You're the biggest." The girl frowned at him.

"Nabiki! Even if it is true, you shouldn't be so..." Akane flushed and looked away while shifting her foot about a bit. "Who are you anyway? Are you new here?"

"I've been in your class since the fifth grade. Nobody notices me." The boy was shaking and looking about.

The bell rang and Nabiki forced the boy to move towards the gates as she shoved the manga into his hands. "It's called 'The Slayers'."

"So, you have the rest of this then?" Akane looked confused. "What does it matter?"

"We need to see those books." Nabiki glared at him and shoved him forward.

"B-but...m-my parents..." Hikaru swallowed and fumbled with the book. "I don't have the manga anyway. There were a few television shows, I've got..."

"Great. We'll make a day of it then." Nabiki gave him a stern glare that more than conveyed that he wasn't allowed to say no.

"What? What are you talking about?" Akane frowned at her. "I guess you should sit for a while, but...I'm not so sure we can get away with..."

The older girl snatched the volume from Hikaru's hands. She flipped about for a moment and shoved the open book into her sister's chest. "Here."

As Akane was looking at it, with a slow dawning crawling over her face, Hikaru spoke up. "What do I get out of this exactly?" He looked a bit annoyed, but was still too spineless to do anything but frown a little.

Nabiki shrugged and gave him a very small smile. "You get to spend a day watching anime with two pretty girls, that you aren't allowed to touch, or talk too."

"Yeah. What she said." Akane had just read her spell for casting a fireball in the manga she'd been handed.

"Oh. Can I sit and stare at you? I don't want to weird you out, but...it's the best I can hope for right?" The boy licked his lips and was rubbing his hands together.

Nabiki gave a small sigh and looked at her sister. "Fine, but if you touch us. My sister will burn your manga collection. I know you've got one. Only for today. I don't want you glaring at us at school."

Hikaru decided it was best to not mention that he already was. Akane was the focus of his attention, but Nabiki wasn't bad looking either. He had started to realize that the two girls were very interested in that particular manga. The same two sisters who had each caused a bit of a mess at school in the past two days. Akane Tendo was a witch, a real one. She really was his perfect woman. "If only I could make her see that." Distracted by his own line of hormone driven thought as he was, he didn't forget that he should probably have another look at that particular series again. It might even be worth investing in the manga.

OooOOooOO

Akane Tendo wasn't sure why Hikaru's parents started crying. They welcomed the group and waved the girls up to his room. As soon as they were gone, both of them were on their knees at the family altar. She found herself in a black painted room, all sorts of jars lined the shelves and walls, and a large collection of manga, anime tapes, and posters filled the walls. She didn't think she'd ever seen the word 'magic' in one place so much before. Some of the titles were run of the mill. Magical girl this, or that, some where disturbing. "Magical Penis? Are you kidding me?" Her face contorted, and the very pale boy went very red.

"This is what you want." He pointed down at the bottom corner of the very large bookshelf and sighed.

OooOOooOO

Akane was having a good time. It was only the first show, and she was really starting to like the main character. She had a grin on her face and was holding fits of giggles back as she watched. Nabiki was frowning at her, and paying more rapt attention.

"I wish they'd cut the jokes and get to the point." The older girl was getting annoyed fifteen minutes in. It was a comedy, set in a fantasy world. Nothing useful had come up.

"I don't know. I kind of like this one. I might get it myself later on." The younger girl shrugged and seemed pleased. "I'm starting to like Lina, and the first show isn't over yet."

The older girl rolled her eyes as a dragon started to destroy a village. "Ooh. A dragon. Like we're going to run into one of those."

Both girls went quiet a few minutes later, when the lead character started to chant something. A moment later, as a maroon red filled the screen and bathed the room, they sat and stared with wide eyes.

"Holy..." Akane spoke up. She looked down at her hands and gasped. "I have got to try that."

Neither one heard the choking sound as Hikaru froze up in wide eyed horror.

"Yeah? You'll blow up the ward if you do." Her older sister's eyebrow twitched. "Come on, let's keep watching. We might find something else to try that won't kill everyone we know."

Akane hung her head. "Yeah. I guess you're right. Still, I'll take a trip or something. I've got to try, I mean, come on. That was so cool!"

"What are you going to do with it?" Nabiki rolled her eyes again. "Use your head."

The younger girl shrugged and grinned. "Who cares? It's still cool. I just want to see if I can."

"Whatever, the next episode is starting." The girl grumbled and fast forwarded through the credits.

OooOOooOO

Akane's sister had taken a baseball bat to the side of Hikaru's television. She'd gotten more and more frustrated as the second season went on. "Hey. It's not over yet!" She jumped up as the screen flickered and wavered, grabbing the girls arms.

Nabiki was livid, her face was red as she huffed through her nose and glared at the screen. "That dirty son of a bitch! I'll kill him! The nerve! An anime character!? Is he kidding? Why that jerk! Wait until I see that..."

The boy had his back against the door and looked on in hopeful terror as his television managed to survive the assault. "Hey! Please, don't break that!"

The older girl settled her gaze on him. He swallowed hard and stopped speaking as he pushed himself up against the door. She dropped the bat and sat down, glaring at the screen again.

"What the hell are you doing?" The younger girl looked a bit angry.

"Don't tell me you've not noticed." Nabiki's jaw dropped a little. "Are you blind? He even dresses like him! That bastard! He's some sort of Otaku freak! He figured out how to use real magic and turn himself into a real wizard! He's jerking us around, Akane! Playing with us!"

The younger girl looked over at the screen. "You mean that guy? He seems okay so far. I guess he does dress a bit like that."

Nabiki's head fell between her shoulders. "Who cares who he is?! That jerk Ranma figured out how to turn himself into that guy there!" She pointed at the screen. "Like for real. Now he's just screwing with us! Are you dense or something?"

"If what you're saying about Ranma is true, you should care." Hikaru seemed to figure out what they were talking about. He jumped back as they both looked at him. Neither one looked angry.

"Why?" Akane frowned at him.

"Well, I...um..." The boy looked very nervous. "No way. I mean. Sure he's...but...oh man. He's for real isn't he?"

"Yeah. Now what do you know?" Nabiki frowned as she stood up and clenched her fist. "I noticed that stack of magazines under your bed. I say we start a campfire in the middle of the room with those. Why on earth should I care about who that guy is? Looks like an untrustworthy member of their group. He's probably just a wizard working against them, he'll stab them in the back and..."

The boy shook his head. "Xellos is much more than that. If you think Ranma is like that guy, you shouldn't screw with him. Trust me." He didn't look like he wanted to elaborate and hand jumped on his bed to hide everything below his eyes with his sheets.

Akane looked interested and frowned at her sister. "You know, he is talking."

The older girl frowned. "Well, he's not finished either. What the hell are you talking about? I don't feel like watching another four hours of this crap to find out."

The boy tried to cover his head, but the candles tied to the sides of his head prevented it. "He's not human. He's a monster, a really strong one. Besides, he never really stabs them in the back. Seems to like them for some reason. He is using them though." The boy gave up hiding. "Look. I'll give you this if you leave my television alone. I think it has what you want to know in it. I never cared for it much, I prefer more serious stuff." He pulled a dusty book off the shelf.

Akane turned her head and snorted. "Pervert."

The boy blushed as Nabiki took the book and started for the door. She thumbed through it. "Encyclopedia Slayers huh..." Her eyes went wide. There was a large section detailing the incantation, and effects of various spells. "Holy..." There were quite a few. She stopped halfway down the stairs and gripped her sisters arm, pulling her from the home at a faster pace.

"What's going on?" Akane was confused.

"Be nice to Hikaru Gosunkugi, he just gave us what we needed, and we didn't have to spend all day with him." Nabiki hung her head and gave a small sigh. She handed the book over. "There are all sorts of spells here."

"Really?" Akane almost dropped the book as she staggered back. Her sister was ignoring her, and a two foot long beam of light had appeared in her grip. It was slim enough for her to grasp, and she didn't look uncomfortable holding it.

"Elmechia Lance!" The girl tossed it into the drainage ditch on the other side of the fence they were walking beside, a hail of water came down on the street in front of them. "Yeah. It's a real spell book. Come on, we've got to go find..."

"Oh. Hello." Ranma appeared to be digging something out of his fingernails, but was wearing gloves. He seemed satisfied. "I'm really getting to enjoy these little talks."

"What the hell do you think you're..." Nabiki put her nose up to him. "Are you even human?"

"Finally figured that out did you? Took a surprising amount of time. I'm glad I gave Kuno that little present. Worked out better than I'd hoped." The boy seemed pleased and looked back and fourth as both girls started stepping away from him. "I trust you know what I expect of you then?" He leaned on his staff and smiled at the pair.

"What have you involved us with?" Akane was flipping through the pages of the book.

The boy gave a small sigh as Nabiki started muttering under her breath. "You know, I've not hurt either one of you. I don't see why you're so upset. Besides, it'll be good for you both to get out and see more than the burg here." He shook his head.

The older girl calmed a bit, Akane looked up from the pages. Nabiki spoke up first. "What are you?"

The boy shrugged. "I'm a monster of course. This isn't my true form, it's just something I use to keep from stirring up the population." It was the most direct answer he'd ever given them.

"What?" Akane dropped the book. She wanted to scream 'you're out of your mind!', but it wouldn't come out.

The boy walked over and picked it up and started flipping through the pages. Akane kept her distance from him and both girls watched as he did it. "Not all of these will work just yet. You need to do something about it if you want to try some of them. Some will work in a limited fashion. Just the extra mana about for some reason combined with a natural affinity for a particular kind of magic. Not just anyone can do it you know, even with a book like this." He waved his finger and closed it up with his cheerful grin remaining as he strolled up to Nabiki and handed it over. "I suggest making a copy so each of you can have one. Should be useful."

"Wait. Did you just say something about doing something about...what?" Akane looked confused and took a protective step towards her.

The boy shook his head. "Sorry. You've got a trip to plan. Not going to find out what's going on sitting around the house. Don't forget to take your sister."

"What? No! I don't care what you think you are! You've got no right too..." Nabiki stiffened up and bowed her back as she moved away from him.

"Well, I suppose you could stay here and die if you want. Won't bother me much, but you need to do something about it." Ranma hung his head and gave a small sigh. "Stop acting like I've ever hurt you. Come on, really."

"If this isn't the real you...then wh..."Akane cut herself off, her hand moving up to her mouth. "That...dog thing..." Both girls became visibly more alarmed as soon as it had left her mouth.

The boy shrugged again, Nabiki had latched herself onto the fence she was standing against. "Why is that important anyway? Look. I'll be nice and explain things straight just this once. You've got a problem, and it isn't me. I'd rather see it solved myself, as it will be messy for everyone if it isn't."

He had their full attention. Nabiki had managed to move over to her sister's side, and they were huddled together and looking at the boy. The street around them was empty and quiet, a bit too much. Akane managed to speak first. "But..."

"I'll explain. Someone has broken a powerful seal. As a result, there is now a leak in the mana flow of the planet. You need to find the rest, and unseal them as well, to relieve the pressure. I'm afraid I can't do much to help but offer a bit of advice and point you in the right direction on occasion. You've got to find and deal with them yourselves."

"Why?" Akane scrunched her face up.

"It's a bit like a dam that's sprung a leak. If you don't release the safety valves to control the flooding, the dam will slowly begin to rip itself apart. As you can imagine, that could be quite catastrophic."

Nabiki frowned. "Plug up the hole." She crossed her arms and turned away.

"I suppose you could ask the demons and gods to stop their little war long enough to make up and take care of it again if you wanted. Asking the gods might not be so bad, asking the demons... Well, it's bound to be unpleasant." The boy shrugged. "You'd need both of them to do it."

"What happens if we don't?" Akane looked a bit shaken.

"Hmmm? Oh! It seems I have an appointment to keep. Excuse me." The boy turned and walked away.

Neither girl did anything to stop him.

"Now what?" Akane looked at her sister and frowned.

"You're asking me? Look, we have no idea how crazy he is..." Nabiki flushed.

"I'm pretty sure he's not lying about not being human." Akane looked at her sister and took a step back. "Wait. The engagement! You can't..."

The older girl went rigid. "No way! Don't be disgusting! What good would I be to something like that anyway? Come on...we've...oh man."

"Oh. Hello Nabiki, Akane. What brings you two about..." Ono Tofu's smile wavered a bit as he realized the girls had rather blank expressions on their faces as he turned a corner and noticed them almost right in front of him. They looked dazed, and afraid. "Um, are you two all right? Maybe I should have a look at you both. You seem a bit pale."

Both girls seemed too dazed to bother resisting as he put his hands on their shoulders and led them along.

OooOOooOO

Ryoga Hibiki snorted as he walked by a long haired stranger. Both men were passing on a distant trail, far into the wilderness in Japan. The trees around them were still covered in snow, and a beaten path and the dead silence of winter. They stopped after passing, several paces away.

"Is there a problem? You look like you've seen a ghost." Ryoga had noticed the uncomfortable stare.

"I wasn't expecting anyone on this road." The stranger nodded, he was dressed in Chinese robes and had a clam piercing glare.

"Heh. You should have kept your mouth shut and kept going. I remember that voice. A lot of people have seen me die, but you're the only man still around that got away with killing me is you." The lost boy snarled as he turned to face Mousse. He tossed his traveling pack aside and gripped his umbrella.

"Funny I didn't see you coming." The Chinese boy grumbled and crouched low. "He said you were dead."

"Who? Maybe I'll let you live if you tell me. Don't take that to mean I'm letting you off either." Ryoga pointed at him and gave him an angry looking frown.

"Fine. The demon goes by the name 'Ranma Saotome'. He offered to lift my curse if I killed you. I wasn't expecting to run into you again. According to him, you've been killed." The Chinese boy had produced a pair of swords and was holding them out to his sides with his leg lifted up.

"I guess he was wrong then!" Ryoga jumped forward with his umbrella thrusting at Mousse.

Both combatants landed on either side of Ranma Saotome. He had appeared out of nowhere between them. "Thank you. You've been useful. I suggest you leave, if you run into him again, I won't stop him from killing you. I don't care how much you've got stuffed into those robes. You've got nothing that will stop him." He looked over his shoulder at Mousse. The boy nodded and turned to rush away. Ranma snorted as he frowned at Ryoga. "Now to you."

The lost boy was shaking with rage. "You! What are you doing here!? I'll deal with you later. I've got a score with..."

"Keep your mouth shut and do as your told." Ranma grinned at him in an unpleasant way. "Leave him be. It's not his fault I used him. Quite clever of you to hide your soul away from me. If you'd not done it with me in mind, I might not have needed him to find it." The boy walked in a circle around the now frozen Ryoga Hibiki. The boy was shaking, his jaw was hanging. "He played his part beautifully. I've been keeping an eye on you for a while Hibiki. I can track souls. Call it an instinct if you must. You've caused me no end of trouble up to now. Patience wins out again. I gave him his curse about the same time you became a Wu, and it's worked out quite well in the end. Don't you think?"

"Y-you've got my soul?" Ryoga's brow furrowed. "You bastard! You give it back right now!"

"Or you'll what?" Ranma was leaning over his staff and smirking at him. "It's mine now. I got it as change for lunch earlier. Quite tasty, and a very good deal."

Ryoga hung his head and clenched his fist. "No! You..."

"Hibiki. You are now my personal property." Ranma smiled. "Don't worry. It won't be so bad. I've got plenty for you to do."

"You can't make me obey you!" Ryoga snarled and punched out with his fists. Ranma didn't move, and the lost boy connected. He fell to his knees and gripped at his fist in pain. "No! I won't..."

"That's the spirit! Don't be boring!" Ranma slapped him on the shoulder. "Come on, we've got to get you ready."

OooOOooOO

Ryoga shielded himself with his arms. The ground was red, the air was searing, waves of heat could be seen coming off of every surface. Jagged black stones jutted up from the ground all around them, and nothing but stones and red orange sand could be seen in any direction. "Where?"

Ranma was gone, he was left standing alone in the empty hellish place. "Where? What's going on here?" He staggered into the desert. The lost boy shielded his eyes as he looked up into the sun. "I've never been to this desert. Am I in Japan still?" He clenched his fist and staggered onward. "Damn you Saotome!"

OooOOooOO

It lives! Bwahahahahahhaaa!

Next time: Calm before the storm.

TBC... 


	9. Chapter 9

Ranma: Mazoku Factor

Part 9

The calm before the storm.

OooOOooOO

Akane Tendo was sitting in Onno Tofu's office with her sister. "What are you going to do?" She looked at her older sister in a tentative way with her hands folded on her lap and her eyes low.

"I am not marrying that thing." Nabiki growled it and glared at the younger girl. "Use your head. Do you really think it's interested in sleeping with me?"

Tofu's jaw worked, he was very confused. "What are you talking about?"

"I'm engaged to Ranma Saotome." Nabiki frowned at the man, and then turned back to her sister. "He's using us both. You know that."

"Yeah." Akane nodded and got a small grin on her face. "I don't think he's being dishonest either though."

The older girl rolled her eyes. "He's not telling us everything we need to know."

"No, but I don't think he's lied to us." The younger girl shrugged. "I don't trust him, but I believe him. It's kind of hard not to so far."

Her elder sister's jaw dropped as her eyes grew wide. "You've lost your mind!"

"I haven't." Akane turned her nose up.

"I'm sorry to hear that." Tofu frowned at Nabiki. "I suggest finding a way to break it off. Maybe talk with your father? I'm pretty sure Mr. Tendo might understand if you explain what allowing an evil wizard into his family might do to his honor."

The older girl seemed to forget about her sister. "You don't know the half of it."

Tofu frowned and gave her a hard glare. "What? Is he hurting you or something? I can get help if..."

"No. He's not hurt us." Akane shrugged.

"He's told me he doesn't mind a loveless marriage, just to honor a contract. I'm worried, okay? It's got something to do with the power he's using. It makes him honor contracts, more than a level headed person might." The girl hugged her shoulders and growled for a moment as she looked away from them both. "I'm not too worried though. I don't think he's interested in raping me or anything. He does want something though, and that's why it's bothering me."

Akane gave a small gasp. "Wh-what?" Her fists clenched tight and her glare grew hard.

"He's not threatened me." The girl frowned at her. "Calm down."

Tofu and Akane both relaxed a bit. "He's not going to get his claws on you. I won't let him." Her sister spoke up and gave her a hard glare.

"Stop being a drama queen! Before you make a promise you can't keep." Nabiki frowned at her.

"I can help stop him from forcing you." Tofu looked displeased once again.

"Look. He's not stepped over the line yet. I'm not sure how much I trust him, I'm pretty sure I'm not of much interest to him physically." Nabiki blushed and looked away. "It's different than that. I don't like it any more though."

Tofu growled a bit. "I don't know about that. I don't want to make you uncomfortable, but you are a pretty girl, and healthy young woman after all."

The girl leveled her eyes on him. "He's not human."

The man stood there and said nothing for a long moment. "What?"

Akane hung her head. "Um, he's not human. He's this giant dog looking thing that can make himself look..."

Tofu had hit the floor.

Both girls looked on in shock for a moment. Akane stood up with her eyes wide. "Doctor? Are you all right?"

He sat up with a few painful pops of his back and groaned. "I'm not sure I've heard your right, I thought you just said..."

"Yes. Ranma isn't human. He's some sort of monster. I don't think he eats people though. Well, not normally." Akane's brain flashed back to the giant monster snapping Ryoga Hibiki into it's jaws.

"You mean, that thing at the school?" The young doctor was as white as a ghost and shaking visibly.

"Yeah. It seems to actually like people though. On the whole I mean." Akane frowned and turned her eyes towards her sister.

"My god." The man was holding his arms and rubbing on them. "Something has to be done about it."

"We can't." Nabiki frowned.

"What? Why?" Tofu was staring at her in a way that made her think he didn't really want to know.

"We need him. There's something else going on it seems." Akane shrugged. "The world is in danger and all that."

The man's head was hung and he gave a heavy sigh. "Is there anything else I should know?"

Nabiki nodded. "Well, we should go outside first."

Tofu nodded, staggered to his feet, and shuffled his way to leading them out the back gate. He let them both out first, looked up at the sun from the doorway, took a deep breath, leaned against the doorway, lit a cigarette, and waved his arm to let them know to begin.

Akane nodded. "Right. You do it, I'll blow up the whole yard if I do."

Nabiki nodded and stepped forward. She pointed at a board leaning against the fence. The area was small, less than ten square feet and surrounded by a wood fence. The girl closed her eyes, muttered a few phrases under her breath, and waved her arm. A curved blade of air became visible in the wake of the older girl's hand as if she had tossed it. In a split second, it had split the wooden plank in two, and put a three foot gash in the side of his fence. He pushed himself off the doorway and adjusted his glasses to see the sidewalk had taken considerable damage as well. "Wow. That's impressive. I suppose you are wearing school girl uniforms. I dunno though, I guess I expected shorter skirts." He scratched his head with his cigarette in his grip and smiled at her.

"I thought you were gonna do a fireball." Akane frowned a little. "It's more impressive."

"It's a wood fence Akane. Do you want Dr. Tofu's clinic to burn down?" The older girl looked like she wanted to slap her sister upside her head.

Akane hung her head and played with the dirt with her toes. "Oh. I guess when you put it that way..." An evil voice in the back of her mind thought the place might make a pretty cool burn, what with all the chemicals and gas tanks. It was best to not listen to that voice much though.

"Are you smiling?" Nabiki backed away from her sister. The elder sister thought she'd heard a small giggle.

"No. I don't want Tofu's office to burn down." The younger sister looked admonished and flushed a bit more.

Tofu looked nervous. "I hate to say it, but I'm not sure I believe you."

"I don't. Really." Akane put her hands behind her back and hung her head again.

"Oh yeah? Promise then?" Nabiki growled and shook her fist.

"No." Akane grumbled and glared at her sister as she poked her two fingers together. "You're just going to have to trust me."

"Why?" The older girl tapped her foot and crossed her arms.

"I have to live here, Akane. I'd like to know too." Tofu looked a bit weak kneed as he said it.

"Look, both of you shut up, or I really will burn it down." The girl glared at her sister.

"It's because of what Ranma said about keeping promises and using magic, isn't it?" Her sister didn't look impressed or intimidated.

"Shut up would you! Just let it go. I'm not gonna burn it down unless you both don't shut up already. I promise." The smaller girl cracked her knuckles and gave them a sunny smile.

Tofu looked at Nabiki. "Please, just let it go."

The older girl growled. "For now. She's turned into a little pyro. I think she trusts him too much. We're going on a trip for a while it seems."

"What's going on?" Tofu gave a heavy sigh and sat down at the coffee table.

"Well, Ranma told us about these magic seals. One of them broke somehow, and if we don't undo the others, the planet will rip itself apart and kill us all." Akane plopped herself down across from him and held her face up with her palms.

"That's the basic premise." Nabiki nodded. "We don't even know where to go. All we can do is sit around... and..."

Tofu was wincing behind the newspaper, wanting very badly to not hear it. His cover was ripped away as Nabiki Tendo gasped. "No. You've got to be kidding me. It can't be this..."

She spread it out on the table and leaned over it staring in shock. "Look!"

On the front page was an ancient map of the world. It was much older than any other accurate map of the world according to the headline. It's origins were a mystery, and it popped up two years ago. It two weeks, it would be at the museum. Across the continents, were seven distinct symbols. The photo wasn't good enough to make them out. They were each a different color. "It can't be this easy." In two weeks it would be in Japan as part of a museum show.

"That map?" Tofu seemed to clear up once his brain had a distraction.

"The seal in Japan has been broken." The older girl nodded and pointed at the white mark there. "We need that map."

Tofu nodded. "I'll bet we can buy a copy of it at the show."

"No. That will never do. Remember, you're dealing with magic here." Ranma was standing over all of them.

Tofu fell out of his chair and was sprawled out across the floor.

"Don't worry. I like humans, they amuse me." The boy was cheerful as he sat down across from Akane. "You don't taste very good I'm afraid. Rather like pork, I've developed a taste for beef actually. I'd have to really not like you much to do something like that."

"Here to explain just enough for us?" Akane frowned and didn't bother moving from her pose. Her cheeks were being pulled up a little and she was starting to drool. She had enough sense to reset herself and wipe her chin with her arm. "You leave my sister alone."

"Actually, you shouldn't worry. All I have to do is marry her. It won't matter if she decides to divorce me ten seconds later if she wants. I certainly won't stop her. I'll even only kiss her on the cheek to make her feel better about it if she likes." He shrugged and looked around.

"Really?" Nabiki gasped.

"Of course." Ranma smiled in a warm manner. "The only reason I've been here this long is to see that the contract is put into place properly. I'm afraid you'll be seeing me about for a while what with all this though. No hurry to get it done."

The girl glared at him, but nodded. "What's gotten you so talkative? Why do we need this map? You've gotten friendly since you want something. You want us to steal it for you."

"No, you need to steal it for you. I'm naturally attracted to them, but I'm afraid I can't break any of them myself." The boy leaned back and grinned at the group. "You need the map, because you're dealing with magic, and only the original will get you where you need to be. I'm afraid you've got little choice, because I can't lead you to them either."

"There are rules after all." Akane nodded and wiped the bottom of her nose. "You're a real jerk, but I don't hate you as much as the other boys at least. Don't read into that." She frowned as she added the last bit.

"Wouldn't dream of it." The boy nodded. "It won't be here for another two weeks." He stood up and turned to walk away. "Really, doctor. You should see yourself." Tofu was still on the floor looking rather shocked and alarmed.

His features fell. "Great. Well, good luck. I'll have no more of it. I don't mind giving you a little advice, but...I'm afraid..."

Ranma stopped in the doorway. "Oh yes! Don't forget what I told you. Bring Kasumi, you'll need her."

"I'm coming along!" Tofu was on his feet and holding both girls by the hand as he looked at them both and leaned in over them.

Akane arched her eyebrow and looked a bit confused. "Are...are you sure?"

"Yes." The man nodded in a violent manner.

The older girl shrugged, "I suppose you are a doctor. Kasumi knows healing magic though. We might not need him. I mean, he's..."

Akane nodded. "Ranma said take any help we get offered."

"Yeah, well, we've both got studying to do." She slapped Gosunkugi's book on the table between them.

"Encyclopedia Slayers?" Tofu arched his eyebrow.

"Yeah. Turns out it's a real spell book. It's got lots of other stuff in it too." The younger girl shrugged. "Ranma said, the more of those things we unseal, the more magic we'll be able to do. Not all the spells work yet."

"Stop repeating him. We know we can't trust him. He might just be using us to get this." She tapped her finger on the map.

"I'm going for it anyway. Stay here if you want." Akane glared at her sister and smirked. "Sure, I don't trust him. I don't think he's lied to us yet either."

"Do you realize what will happen to us if we steal that map?" Nabiki glared at the girl and slapped her palm on the table.

"Yeah. We'll have to leave the country. Like, to where the rest of these little symbols are." Akane shrugged.

"Actually, that would make you international criminals." Tofu pipped up, hoping to end the plans of a trip like this with Kasumi.

Both girl's heads whipped around. Akane's eyes narrowed. "What if he's not lying, Nabiki?"

"What if he is?" The girl put her nose up to her sister's.

"You believe him, that's what's bothering you. Isn't it?" Akane smirked at her and crossed her arms as she looked at Tofu.

The older girl backed off and looked at her hand for a moment. "We need to plan then. We need to study. We've got to learn these spells. We might not have time when this gets started. We need to know what works, and what doesn't."

"I've got a copy machine." Tofu grabbed the book. "I'll make copies of the whole thing."

"Yeah. There's all sorts of stuff in there. Trolls, dragons, all sorts of monsters." Akane gave a cheerful nod.

"We only need the spells. Save the paper. Akane, do you really think we'll be running into Trolls and Werewolves?" Nabiki wadded up the newspaper in her hands. She was going over the story and learning the details about the map, and when and where it was going to be shown.

"Well, it will be nice to have if we do." The younger girl shrugged.

"I don't like how all this is falling into place." The older girl flushed and put her nose back into the paper.

"I guess it is pretty convenient." Akane looked at the picture that was wrinkled up in her sisters hands. "Still."

"I'm going to agree with Akane." Tofu nodded and rushed away to make copies. Making more would eat up more time. "What am I going to do? I can't let them go through with this!" He wasn't sure there was anything he could do. One thing was for certain, he was making four copies of this manual. One for himself, and one for Kasumi, just in case. He needed to find a way to put a stop to it.

OooOOooOO

"...seen in the mountains of Tokyo. This unknown creature is just a small sign of many strange happenings in the world." A blurry photograph beside a news anchorman's head revealed a gray vaguely humanoid shaped blob.

"There sure have been a lot of odd unfocused photos these days, Tendo." Genma frowned as he looked at the man beside him.

"Must be some sort of fad. I grow weary of it. Is there no other news?" Soun gave a small sigh and sipped on his teacup.

Genma nodded. "Still, amusing for a time. Remember the dragon last week?"

"I don't know about that, Saotome. It looked more like a house fire to me. Something was burning." The man shook his head.

"I know that, Tendo." Genma put his up down, not noticing the two inch man who pulled it away to the middle of the table and rushed behind the flower vase before either man had spotted him. "It's all in good fun though, I'm sure."

"You're right I suppose, Saotome. Still, I grow weary of it. It would be more amusing if there wasn't so much of it." Soun closed his eyes as Genma looked on with a thoughtful frown. Just in time to miss the three inch long woman who fluttered by beside Genma on large dragonfly wings.

"I agree, it was more amusing last week, Tendo." Genma groped for his cup, looked back and spotted it. "Hmm."

"Something on your mind, Saotome?"

"No. Your eldest daughter makes a fine cup of tea." The larger man smiled and slapped his friend on his shoulder.

Neither one noticed the three tiny men, dressed in rat skins, rolling in laughter behind the vase.

OooOOooOO

Ryoga staggered on, the sky above was black, and the sun shined in the distance. The desert of red sand was endless, there was no water, the air tasted funny and seemed thinner. Still, he pressed, sweatless, haggard, and looking more like the walking dead. His skin was flaking off in dry flecks as he moved, revealing tough and rubbery muscle beneath. His eyes were sunken in, and stared forward in a dead way.

Ranma appeared before him, looking on with a wild grin on his face. "Hibiki. Do you feel death's hand upon your throat?"

"I hate you." His lips cracked, and his voice was a comical squeak.

"Yes. You admit defeat, I've destroyed you, ended you, beaten you."

The husk fell to it's knees. "Yes. I am defeated."

"Then I will end your suffering, and grant you power beyond imagination."

The husk lifted it's head, there was a sharp pain across his neck, and the skull hit the dirt.

Ryoga stared out across the endless sea of red once again. He was startled by it, and his eyes went wide. The air tasted the same, but he was whole, unharmed. "So, I must continue to return. Is this my punishment?"

"Not at all. It's your initiation." Ranma chuckled and shook his head.

"What? What have you done to me?" Ryoga clenched his fist and glared at the boy. Ranma simply tapped his staff on the ground. In an instant they were standing on a grassy field, with a beautiful blue sky above them, and forests far in the distance.

"I've ended your curse, for starters." The ponytailed monster started to walk around him. "You'll never get lost again. There's a catch of course. You'll always end up where I need you to be. You're still a servant. I'm willing to grant you a bit of a leash though. Provided you behave. You can't work against me, but in return..."

Ranma was smiling in a way Ryoga didn't like. "I'm listening." His arms were relaxed at his sides.

"I've made you like me. You're not as powerful of course. I'm afraid I've got a direct connection to you, and I'll always know what you're up too."

"What?" The former human was looking at his arms.

"You think that is what you really look like?" Ranma waved his arm and a mirror appeared before him. "This is the real you, an astral form. A body for the cosmos, not just this material realm."

Ryoga fell on his knees before the mirror. In front of him was a huge tiger like beast, with six inch fangs protruding over it's lips, and limbs more like a man. It was almost ten feet tall, at least eight feet wide at the shoulders. "It...it..."

"Relax. You're going to outlive everyone you know. There's no reason they ever need to know really. If that's the way you want it." Ranma was leaning on his staff and grinning. "You'll suit my needs quite nicely. Don't worry, you'll get into it. Don't go thinking of it as a gift, or buy out. You've earned it. You've gone to great lengths, and it's impressed me. If I'd remained mortal, you'd have made a good rival. I've not known you that long. Try to be civil. Enjoy yourself, and leave the humans be. I don't mean let them push you around, but I don't want to catch you tormenting them. I don't mind if you kill a few from time to time, just don't get carried away."

"What?" Ryoga reached out towards him as he tried to keep pace and looked upset.

"I've got a job for you. Don't worry, some of it will be less than fun, but the payoff is worth it." Ranma was looking like he was telling a child about a surprise.

"What do you want from me?"

"Well, I want you to be a jerk." Ranma shrugged. "You're to get in Akane Tendo's way, get ahead of her, meet the worst people you can find, set them against her, and generally be a irritant. Don't kill her though, she needs to succeed." He winked at him. "There's something she and her friends need to do. I want you to help motivate them, lead them along, and make sure they don't get caught on other snags."

Ryoga snorted. "Why not just have me help her then? Why all this?"

Ranma looked surprised and thought about it a moment. "...but, where's the fun in that? We're not completely rooted in the light Hibiki. As I said, I don't mind if a few people die. Just don't get carried away, or start trying to take over the world or anything. Oh. I don't mind if you start your own religion if you'd like. Just don't be an oppressive jerk. Maybe later, but for now we should play mostly nice." The demon eater chuckled. "Let's just say I want you to make sure she gets there, but make her work for it. The rest of the opposition will likely not be very challenging. Not at first anyway."

Ryoga growled. "I think I get what you mean."

"I'll even get you started. In a few days, she'll be stealing a map from a museum in Tokyo. Don't bother trying to stop that." Ranma turned his back on his new servant. "You're to wait, and steal the map afterwards. Make sure they can follow you, play with them for a bit, and then make sure they get it back. "Don't worry, you'll stick with them from there on your own. They'll think you're always a step ahead of them. Just remember your part, and you'll have a good time of it." He glanced over his shoulder. "You'll be getting lots of people killed, but they'll be bad people mostly. I'm not telling you to murder families and babies after all."

"Right." Hibiki growled and nodded. "I don't have a choice about this, do I?"

"No. You don't. Don't worry. I'll be leaving you to your own devices for the most part. I'll be popping up from time to time though." He started walking away, leaving Hibiki standing in the field. He paused. "Oh, one more thing. Don't save anyone. You're supposed to be a villain. Akane and her friends are important, you shouldn't let them die. Anyone else, and you stand there and watch."

"What?"

"You're supposed to be meeting nasty people, Hibiki. They need to like and trust you. Don't worry, you can do as you please with what's left once Akane and her friends have passed. I'll give you that much. You'll probably enjoy it more than you think. Just make sure word of you doesn't leave if it's less than pleasant. So, if you do...no survivors. No one who sees you stab them in the back can survive. Even prisoners and innocents. Think carefully before you act. Even word of something that follows you can ruin your usefulness. No one's word of silence is good enough."

Ryoga frowned. "I...I see." He was glaring at the grass. He clenched his fist and became angry. "Is this some sort of test?"

"No, they are instructions. I suggest you follow them, or it will not end well for you. I'm through testing you, Hibiki. You've passed." The creature chuckled as he watched what was happening behind him.

Ryoga was on his knees as the sky grew dark overhead in a few seconds. Thunder rumbled angrily overhead as Ranma glared at him over his shoulders with his eyes glowing red. The former lost boy felt his chest burn and his limbs cramp as he fell to the ground in convulsions.

"This is nothing to the pain I can cause you, Hibiki." Ranma was smiling at him as it stopped. "I control you, I always know where you are and what you are doing. My grip will lessen as you grow stronger it's true, but it will always be there. I'll get tired of having just a puppet after a time after all. I'm not about to let you gain the ability to destroy me either."

"Yeah. Great." Ryoga gave a humorless laugh.

"Welcome to the club. You'll have a time of it once you get used to it I think. See you around." With that Ranma left him sitting in a light rain shower. Ryoga didn't care, the rain felt cool, but he wasn't getting chilled.

"Jerk." With a final heave Hibiki was on his feet and walking the other way. "I won't get lost huh? Then where the hell am I?"

OooOOooOO

"Hey, Kasumi." Akane had her arms behind her back. "Um..." The girl was flushed, and stared down at the floor while poking her fingers together.

Nabiki was hiding around the corner looking on. Glaring at her sister. "Come on, just spit it out already." She didn't say it loud enough for either of her sisters to hear of course.

"Um...we need to steal a magic map from the local museum, and then use it to break some kind of magic seals, so the world doesn't end." Akane had never felt so stupid in her life.

"Oh. That's nice. Have fun." The older girl nodded with a grin on her face.

"We...kind of need you to come with us." The younger girl swallowed and looked up at her. She was both horrified and embarrassed. "Oh, and we've got this book of spells we'd like you to learn... I-if you don't mind." Akane waved a handful of pages in her hand.

"R-really?" The older girl was surprised, but didn't seem to be taking what her sister was saying in. "You...want me to come with you?"

"Well, I..." Akane got a bit doe eyed. She was feeling a little light headed just standing under her sister's smile. "...well, um...Dr. Tofu is helping us. We'll be leaving Japan. These things are kind of all over the world and all."

The older girl nodded. "You really want me to come with you?" The elder sister's grin got even wider. "Are you sure? I'm not really sure what I could do."

Akane was starting to tear up, she was leaning over gripping the pages in her hand in a weak limp hand, her knees were visibly shaken and had buckled down. The girl's bottom lip was trembling. "Well, kind of...yeah."

"Oh! I'd be delighted! It will be kind of nice to take a little trip." Kasumi grabbed her sister in a warm embrace and Akane fell apart.

"Jeez, I'm glad I sent her to take care of that. Disgusting," said Nabiki Tendo as she took embarrassing photos of her sister from her spot around the corner. She loved her older sister of course, but being under her gaze for too long made her uncomfortable.

OooOOooOO

"Because we're already going to be thieves. I'd rather not end up a murderer too." Nabiki Tendo tapped her finger down on the tabletop. She had a cool even gaze directed at her sister. A map of the museum was laid out between them. Tofu was scratching at his head between them with a cigarette burning in his hand. He looked stressed, but nodded in agreement with the older girl.

"We could do it without killing someone. We just walk up, take it, and blast anything that tries to stop us before we get away. Shouldn't be too hard to lose the cops." Akane snorted.

"You are aware that your older sister will be standing next to you the whole time. We have to take her with us, remember?" Nabiki leaned in and smirked.

Akane worked her mouth for a bit. "I...uh...hey. Grrrr." She backed off the subject. "So what do we do then?"

"We get inside, have a look about the whole museum, while they are open. We need to see for ourselves before we start trying to plan this out." Nabiki frowned pushed the map away towards her sister. "The map will be more useful once we've had a look about the place."

Tofu nodded, he was still struggling with the fact that he was going to go through with this. "Right, what might look like a good hiding spot on this map, may turn out to be more open than expected."

"Very good, Doctor." Nabiki nodded. "That's the basic idea. I'll be taking notes, and updating the map with useful information. We can pick up a few more of these maps while we're there. That way we can each have one." She glanced at her sister. "It will be dangerous. We've got to be quiet, and we'll probably need you to get us past security. Quietly, and yes, that is important."

"Fine. I can handle that." The younger girl shrugged. She was giving her sister a displeased stare, and seemed to be brushing her off.

"Listen. I'm the brain here. You're the muscle." Nabiki growled and stood up to put both her palms on the tabletop.

"Yeah, yeah. So then what?" Akane nodded, brushing her sister off yet again.

Tofu gave a heavy sigh and glared at them both with a frown on his face. "Well, assuming we've made it to the map without having them call in the JSDF, of course..." He pulled the map in front of himself with his finger and looked down at it. "We get out quietly, and as fast as we can. We can't disable security completely, but we've got to remember that they check in regularly. We don't know how often. We could have anywhere from five minutes, to an hour before the rest realize something is up."

"Still, it will likely take them a while before they call in help. Not unless they find something interesting." Nabiki nodded.

"Not if they realize they're dropping like flies. Stealth is important, but we shouldn't disturb the guards whenever possible." Tofu frowned. "You're not the brains here. I am." He looked at both of them. Nabiki worked her mouth, but growled. He directed his rather serious gaze at her and puffed on his cigarette. "We shouldn't bring Kasumi. We don't need her. Not for this."

Nabiki shook her head. "We might not be able to come back and get her."

"I can keep her safe." Akane gave a firm nod.

"No, Nabiki will stay with Kasumi, outside the museum." Tofu looked at the girls. "Akane and I will go inside and get the map. I'm a fair martial artist myself, and we'll have an easier time dealing with it than you two. We're more agile, and that will make staying out of sight easier. This is a stealth operation." He turned his eyes towards Akane.

"I get it." Akane smiled at him and nodded. "Still, if we've got to get out fast. I'm pretty sure I can pull it off. I'm not leaving without that map, no matter what."

Tofu gave her a second glance and nodded. "As much as I hate to admit it, if Ranma isn't lying, the ends do justify the means." He peered down at the map, knowing there wasn't anything new there. "We'll go to the Museum tomorrow and have a look about. There's a hotel across the street. I'll rent a room out for Kasumi and Nabiki that night. They'll be able to keep watch on the building for us from there, it faces the entrance. " He looked over at the older girl. "We'll set up a meeting place for afterwards. Somewhere people won't be looking to find us."

Akane nodded. "So, not here or the dojo."

Tofu shrugged. "Not the school either, or any place someone might know you like to hang out. We'll pick a place later. I'll have a look about while you two are at school."

"We aren't going. We've got to learn this." Nabiki held up her copy of the spell book.

"Yeah." Akane agreed.

Tofu shook his head. "People will start asking questions if we don't act normally before then. Nothing personal, but you can't be hanging about here all the time and ducking school. It makes me look very bad, and I'd rather not already have the attention of the police. We aren't having another meeting like this for at least a week. I'm only taking you to the museum tomorrow because you don't have school then anyway."

Nabiki snorted. "He's right about hanging about here. We need to memorize this, and make sure Kasumi is practicing with us. I've memorized the spells already, but Akane and Kasumi don't have my memory either. No school till this is over. It won't make any difference anyway if this doesn't work out. We're all going to jail."

Tofu felt something pull at the back of his mind as he nodded. "Fine." She was using his feelings for Kasumi to get her way. Still, her ploy had been effective, he would protect the object of his affection at any cost. He knew it would be easier if she was as prepared as possible. His glasses fogged up as Kasumi entered the room.

"Oh. Hello. I hope you don't mind me interrupting." She had an apron on, and a wooden spoon in her hand. She'd spent the meeting in the doctor's small kitchen, making a meal for them all.

"Kasumi..." Tofu was in another world. "Fancy meeting you here."

The oldest of the girls giggled. "You're so silly Dr." She turned towards her sisters. "It's almost time to eat. I just wanted to let you know if you want it hot, you should finish up."

Tofu's eyes went completely out of focus and he seemed to freeze with a huge stupid grin and wide eyes. Akane waved her hand about in front of his face. "Um, thanks Kasumi."

Nabiki shook her head and snorted. "Yeah. Right. He's the brains here. Sure."

OooOOooOO

"Hello. Might I ask what you are doing in my yard?"

Ryoga frowned, he didn't have a traveling pack, or umbrella, but simply strolled with his hands in his pockets. He wasn't watching where he was going, and hopped over anything that had ended up in his way. He looked up. "Sorry. I wasn't watching where I was going."

"A poor excuse." The girl stuck her nose in the air. She was pretty, but didn't seem pleased to see him. She was wearing a local school for girl's uniform and twirling a ribbon behind her head. Her eyes were firm and cold, and she had long dark hair tied into a ponytail on the side of her head. The ribbon circled in a slow controlled spiral.

Ryoga snorted a chuckle and looked her dead in the eyes with a cool stare. His eyes were orange, and it startled the girl. "You smell like that idiot swordsman."

"Tachi?" Her features softened. "You know Tachi?" She didn't appear welcoming, more like amusement. It was obvious she still meant him harm.

The beast grinned, revealing oversize canine teeth. His smile was mostly human, but off somehow. "We've met. Didn't know he had a sister. Then again, he's somewhat beneath my notice."

Kodachi's ribbon had fallen to the ground, she twirled her ribbon wand not realizing her defense was gone. She looked confused and disgusted. "You are a demon." She snapped her wrist and the ribbon came to life. It flowed in the air behind her in a serpentine manner.

Ryoga snorted and raised his hand.

The girl gasped as her wrist was jerked downward. She looked over her shoulder just in time to see the ice covered ribbon hit the ground behind her. It shattered into thousands of small chucks and left only the bent wand in her grip. "What?"

"Get out of my way, girl."

"Wait. How did you do that? What are you?" The girl was confused, but her voice was still commanding, and she demanded it of him.

"Well, aren't we uppity." Ryoga snorted. He turned to face her. "Well, I suppose I've got some time to kill. You want to know if you can use magic do you?"

"Yes." The girl dropped her ribbon and rushed over to cling to his leg with her eyes locked onto his. "Tell me! I demand it!"

"Heh. I'll show you a few tricks. You're on your own after that." Ryoga stood up and pointed his hand at a fountain in the yard. He muttered a few phrases under his breath, raised his hand and called out. "Demona Crystal."

Kodachi stood watching as the fountain became in huge shards of clear pure ice. She stomped her foot and nodded. "I see then. You who crosses between sky and earth, raging water gather in my hand and give me power! Demona Crystal!" Kodachi repeated the words she'd heard and smirked. "I see." The gate to the family bath became encased in a wall of ice that poked with shards in every direction.

"Yeah. Good luck with that. You're on your own." The girl whirled around. After a moment of searching the yard with her eyes, she deduced she was alone. She put her hand up to the side of her face and laughed, long and hard, and continuously. "It seems my prowess has driven away the pathetic creature. No doubt it fears the power of my magical ability. Surely, lying dormant within me, to drive me to greatness forever upon this day! Ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho!"

Ryoga growled, and briefly considered going back to eat her. He shook his head, she'd picked up that trick faster than he was expecting. He didn't mean to teach someone that stupid anything, and had been planning playing with her for a bit, and then leaving her half frozen and tell her she didn't have any ability. "Heh. Might be fun to watch." He had a feeling he'd be seeing more of her in the future. In fact, given the huge desire to bite her head off he had from the start, he imagined this was one of those 'where I need you to be' things his new master had told him about.

He growled and closed his fist. The thing was hidden in the shadows of several nearby bushes as the girl continued to laugh. He shook his head as he sulked off, a continuous trail of her laughter filled the air. "That's got to be some kind of record. Is she going to pass out?" It was starting to get grating. A few hops to the roof of the building, and it was fading, and not fast enough for Ryoga Hibiki. It was almost like an alarm, and she'd not broken stride almost five minutes. "Agh! That's horrible!" The monster clutched at his head as he rushed away across the Kuno estate.

OooOOooOO

"Mom?" Ranma was confused for a brief moment. He wasn't expecting his father to try and attract his attention. Usually, the monster let his father win the morning routine, put up enough of a fight to satisfy him, and ignored him the rest of the day.

"That's right. We're going to see your mother. It's been ten years after all." Genma nodded and crossed his arms.

Ranma gave a small shrug. "Fine."

OooOOooOO

About two hours later, both of them stood side by side in front of the Saotome home. Neither had said anything throughout the trip. It was almost as if neither one had any idea the other was next to him, and hadn't noticed their destination was the same place.

"Ranma!" The monster was lifted off his feet by the woman who rushed from the house.

"Yes, here he is, just like I..." Genma found the door closed in his face as the woman dragged the boy into her home and ignored him. He opened the door and walked in.

"You're so, Manly!" The woman had red hair, a huge smile, a sword gripped in one hand.

The boy was looking at the weapon and smiled at her. "Well...n..."

"Oh. Hello dear." The woman seemed to realize there was another person in the room. She didn't let go of her son, her fingers tightened on his shoulders a bit as she smiled at Genma.

"Yes, as you can see. I've honored my promise. The boy is quite manly." Genma puffed out his chest and put his fists to his hip. He seemed to think she should be proud of him.

Ranma shook his head. "Don't be silly old man. I'm not even human anymore. How can I be 'manly'?" He took a great deal of pleasure from the expressions of both humans.

"Wh-what?" The woman swallowed and didn't let him go.

"He failed. I'm not manly. It's true I used to be, but I learned how to do magic, and now I've got an astral body, and I'm pretty much immortal. I'm actually a type of monster called a Mazoku." Ranma shrugged.

Nodoka gave a laugh and waved her hand. "This isn't the time for such jokes, my son. It's..."

"Boy! Do you have any idea..." Genma was giving him a look that implied he should shut his mouth.

"Yes. The two of you made a contract. I've no choice but to honor that contract. Regardless of whether the two of you intend too. We're both supposed to commit suicide by plunging a blade into our bellies while she cleaves off our heads with her sword." The boy nodded and smiled at him. "I'm actually kind of surprised you were dumb enough to bring me back here. I've told you before, I'm bound by contracts. I've taken steps to ensure that you don't drag me into any more of course. I'm still responsible for honoring some of the ones you made when I was younger though." He nodded and looked up at the man.

Nodoka screamed as she turned her eyes after realizing that her hand was on something warm, large, and furry. She backed away into the wall. Though smaller than he was in the school yard, Ranma's white beast like form dwarfed both the humans in the room. "Do I seem 'manly' now?"

Nodoka was still screaming as tentacles lashed out of the creature's body, grabbing her hands and feet. They forced her to grab her sword, and wrapped around her fingers, holding them closed around the hilt.

Genma tried to back away, but what his son had become grabbed him in more of his many hidden tentacles and forced him onto his knees as he sat him down beside him. "Mother. You must honor the contract."

Her face contorted as she struggled. The beast looked into the deep pools of blue of the creature's eyes. The iris was as large as her face.

"No! What are you doing? I'm your father!" She looked past the creature's head to realize that her husband had a short blade forced into his grip.

She felt herself being lifted through the air as her hands were pulled up over her head, raising the sword blade. She looked back with tear filled eyes, she wanted to scream, beg it to stop, but she couldn't. Her mouth worked open and closed impotent to even squeak a sound. She felt her arms come down, there was a loud blubbering scream, but it was cut off just after her arms swooped down. The woman squeezed her eyes shut, not wanting to see, gasping for breath, and choking on tears. She felt her arms raise up over her head again.

"Mother, you must fulfill the contract."

"You are not my son!" She opened her eyes and screamed in defiance. She gasped at what she saw. The animal had it's neck held out, and the hand like claws of it's paws was holding a blade up to it's belly.

"No!" She struggled, not wanting to bring the blade down, but it came anyway. The tentacles went limp and fell away from her, but she simply collapsed in tears without their weight. She shuddered as she curled up in tears.

"Why?!" she screamed.

"Because you signed a contract."

She gasped and sat up, alarmed. The boy was sitting beside her, a headless skeleton burning away to ashes and floating into the air around them vanished behind him. The fire didn't burn the floor of the home, and the ash simply drifted off into the sky. "You..."

"I'm grateful that you brought me into this world. I'm afraid, I'm not the boy who left here anymore. I've become something else." He nodded at her with a smile on his face. It was pleasant, but not warm or welcoming.

"But, you...that spirit..." She was shaken, tears fell from her eyes.

"Spirit? That was no spirit. What you see now is only a spirit. What you saw then, that was the truth. I'm not human, no man amongst men. I've become something more than a man. Goodbye, mother. Your husband, unlike me, will not return again. You are free. Your honor satisfied."

"I'm an old maid! What can I...what do I do?" The woman burst into tears. "Wait! My son!" She didn't look well. "I have nothing but this home, and you."

The boy shook his head. "Take a look at yourself. You're better off without me for now. I'll visit, once you've had time to think about what's happen. I assure you, it was no dream, but it's best of you keep it to yourself."

"Wait! Do not...do not go yet..." She stood up, fear clear on her features as she walked up and took him into her arms. "Please. I am alone. Tell me...tell me about my son? You...you are my son?" She gave a sort of delirious laugh as she looked at his face as if inspecting a diamond.

"I suppose there's no harm in explaining a bit." The boy shrugged. "I suppose you are my mother after all."

OooOOooOO

A short time later, Ranma sat across from his mother, drinking tea, and answering questions. "No. I don't care for humans. I've tried it a couple of times, but it just left a bad taste in my mouth. I eat demons mostly. I can exist on strong emotions as well. I had angel once, but I'd like to try it again. On occasion, I'll treat myself to a cow or catch a wild deer. I don't really need solid food though. I'm not prevented from enjoying it on occasion though."

Nodoka nodded, she'd calmed and seemed reserved. Still, she'd asked him many questions, and gotten strange, but satisfactory answers in return. "You've got a child?"

"Hmm? You could say that. I don't breed really, but I can make more like me. It's difficult to explain, requires a great deal of energy, and requires death to work. It's actually a form of reincarnation. He's not a 'child' though." Ranma shook his head. "There are no females yet. I'm not certain how well that will work anyway. I'm more a force of energy than a 'being' anymore, astral bodies aren't like physical forms. I'm just using this one because it interacts well with this dimension."

"Oh." The woman was confused, but seemed to understand he'd done his best to explain. "Ranma. I'd, like to see you again. You are my son. I suppose."

"Yes. I was once the boy who left this home. I'm your son. I've grown up, different, than you might have expected." He nodded and shrugged. "I'm also a lot more than he was when he left."

"I see." It was clear she didn't really get it, but she nodded once. "I'll see you again then?"

"Yes. I'll visit you again if you wish." The boy nodded. "I suppose I could find a way to drop by on occasion. You are my mother after all."

"I'd like that. I can accept you...as you are...I believe." She shuddered but nodded.

"Thank you. Don't worry. I'll take care of you mother. You'll never have to worry about losing your home, or starving. I promise. You will be taken care of." Ranma shrugged.

"Is...Genma..."

"Yes. You're free." The boy nodded.

"I am alone." She was looking out in the yard.

"That's up to you. His death had no honor. There was little I could do to save him from his own word and karma in the end. You are free to do as you please." He stood up and dusted off his pants and gave her a gentle smile. "If you need help, well, you don't even have to tell me. I'll take care of it anyway."

She looked up at him and nodded. "Yes." She arched her eyebrow and nodded.

She sat with her cup of tea, watching the yard. Her son left her in peace. She turned her eyes towards the spot where Genma had been. Not a trace of what had happened remained. Her eyes became lost, as she turned back towards the yard again.

OooOOooOO

TBC...

Next time: The heist.


End file.
